Out of Her Shell
by Nami Swannn
Summary: She's a lonely teenage girl who escapes life through art. He's a mutant teenage turtle who feels like he's seen as a joke. When their paths cross, they realize they might just be what the other one needs. [2012 Series]
1. Night Watchers

_**Thank you all so much for taking the time to view this story! I am currently obsessed with TMNT, so of course I'd want to write a story. : ] . I enjoy challenging myself with love stories that involve characters who it might be difficult to see in a romantic relationship, and Mikey is definitely one of those characters. This will be taking place in the 2012 universe several episodes before the end of Season 2. In other words, Casey Jones [ugh] will be in this story, along with Irma and a few other familiar characters. [In case you were wondering, Donnie is my favorite, not Mikey.] **_

_**Also, for those of you who are unfamiliar with my stories, I like to include the title of music tracks that you can listen to while reading this story so you can almost feel the emotion of the scene. I've made a playlist on youtube titled out of Her Shell, so you don't have to search each song up. [bloodytearz22 is my sn.] I will be putting a [+] symbol at the end of a paragraph when the music has finished its scene. Please enjoy, and thank you all so much!**_

**Out of Her Shell**

**Chapter 1: Night Watchers**

New York City: founded in 1624 and currently home to around eight million people.

Millions of tourists flock to the world-renowned city every year, taking in the illustrious sights that leave so many stunned and breathless. Broadway shows that run day and night, the verdant fields and relaxing atmosphere of Central Park, the 305 foot Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, China Town, the Empire State Building, and even the mouthwatering flavor of New York's specialty pizza were only a few focal points of the diverse city that never slept.

However, like other populous cities, the crime rate wasn't scarce. Pick pockets, petty thieves, muggers, and gang members that obscured themselves within the shadows looking for unsuspecting victims plagued the streets and blended in with alleyways. For a while, they were the only threats, and ones that the police force had been doing a rather efficient job at keeping under control.

Unfortunately, in one of the back parts of the city, problems that were more massive than anybody dared to dream were running rampant.

Within not even a year, citizens had been forced to escape from immense rats, aggressive yellow goo in a canister, and even space crafts that could turn invisible, not to mention spherical domes that would drift down from what appeared to be a mother ship just to abduct anybody within reach to take back to the unknown.

What most people didn't know were that the threats that transpired on an almost daily basis were vanquished every time by four teenagers trained in the art of Ninjutsu.

Well, four _mutant turtle_ teenagers, to be exact.

**[][][]**

They sprinted on the roof tops, just as they did every night, vaulting from one building top to the other as they inconspicuously camoflauged into the night to avert the eyes of any onlookers that roamed the streets below. Five figures hurdled over narrow alley ways; four of them flawlessly made the process look like an art form as they raced in sync with each other, flipping and leaping over gaps like they were mere cracks in the sidewalk. Whoops of elation and enthusiasm suffused the air as the silhouettes brandished their skills, coaxing each other on and relishing in the challenge of outdoing each other in parkour speed and tricks.

One, however, was having some difficulty.

"Can't you guys, I don't know, slow down or something?!" April huffed out as she nearly careened over the ledge of a roof top, her slender legs aching from rushing nonstop, and her breath coming out in little gasps. She hunched over to place her hands on her knees so she could abate her pounding heart and give herself a chance to catch her breath. Sweat beaded itself upon her forehead and caused her clothes to cling onto her body, reminding her that she most definitely would need a shower as soon as she returned home.

"Not much longer April, I promise. We're almost there," Donatello gently assured her with a gap-toothed smiled before peering down at the contraption that resembled a Gameboy, held securely in his right three-fingered hand.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Only mere moments before, the Mutagen Locator had abruptly proceeded to go off while the group was out doing their nightly patrol. The purple-masked terrapin always toted the device on him, usually with secure in the belt strap wrapped around his plastron. The meager machine hadn't been active for quite a while, so they were all rather taken aback when it unexpectedly starting going off to signal that a mutagen canister was close by.

Unfortunately, it meant a great deal of running for April, who was nowhere as fit as the Ninja brothers were. While her training with Master Splinter had whipped her into better shape, she was still unable to perform certain physical feats like her mutated friends.

"I thought you wanted to go on a 'real mission' ", Raph mocked, earning an icy glare from their freckled Kunoich.

"That doesn't mean I want to have a heart attack in the middle of one!"

Leo placed a hand on April's shoulder and comfortingly smiled. "Don't worry; things will get easier after the proper amount of training." The way he simpered like a child with a new toy made her contemplate that maybe he took pleasure in pushing his body through hours of physical torment a bit too much.

Raph's jade eyes trailed over to the youngest of the brothers, who had bounded onto a billboard that loomed over their heads, and then proceeded to turn himself around so he hung upside down off a narrow platform with a goofy grin on his face. "Yeah, if he can do it then so can you. Isn't that right Mikey?"

"Yup!" The freckled turtle beamed proudly before realization dawned on him. "Hey!"

"Shh! It's getting louder!" Donnie hissed while he gradually stepped forward and analyzed their location. The beeping had started to excel in speed, and it was only until he stood directly beneath Mikey that the device went ballistic. He gazed up, expecting to see a glow from one of the canisters through the slender gaps of the metal platform, but didn't notice anything unusual. "Hey Mikey, see if you can spot a canister up there."

Swinging himself upright, the orange-masked turtle gave a thumbs-up. "Will do!" He eagerly glimpsed around for the bottled ooze, checking the platform and even peeking behind the board itself until his gaze finally shifted up.

"Ah-ha!" he cried out triumphantly as he saw the canister balancing off the top of the board. "Leave it to me bros! I've got it!"

"He says that now…" Raph muttered beneath his breath with a head shake while the others merely observed Mikey expertly scale up the side of the broad sign.

Halfway up, the lime green turtle audibly perceived an annoying buzzing sound that focused mainly on the right side of his head. He slapped his cheek, wincing from the sharp sting of his hand.

"What are you doing?" Leo called up with a brow raised and arms crossed. "We don't have all night."

"Sorry dude, just a bug!" Mikey shouted back before he boosted himself over the top ledge and hesitantly jaunted over to the canister. He hoisted it up and displayed it over his head proudly. "Ta-dah! You can always depend on Mikey!"

Donnie sighed with relief as he placed the Mutagen Locator back into his belt. "Great, now how about you come back down before you drop it?"

"Don't worry D! I've got this!" As soon as the words left Mikey's mouth, his head was once again overcome by the aggravating buzzing noise. Forgetting that he was balancing himself on top of a constricted board, he slapped his face once more, causing him to knock himself off balance and dangle off the side. The canister slipped out of his hold and landed onto the platform below, where it shattered into several pieces and provided a way for the ooze to drip onto the roof top.

The atmosphere was silent for not even two seconds before steam erupted from the sides of Donnie's head as his eyes narrowed and morphed into torpid ember flames. "SERIOUSLY MIKEY?! SERIOUSLY?!"

April hesitantly stepped forward, well aware of the anger and irritation that encompassed the group. "Hey, it was an accident Donnie. Don't be too hard on him."

"Well, I wouldn't have dropped it if wasn't for that stupid fly!" Mikey defended while dramatically throwing his hands up. "I had it, but then that buzzing just got to me and I couldn't take it anymore! All I heard was buzzing! Buzz buzz buzz!" His eyes suddenly widened and his left lower eyelid twitched as the obnoxious sound once more filled his head. "There is it again! Ahh!" Uncaring for his safety anymore, he dropped down to the roof and placed his hands over the sides of his face as he curled into a ball. "Make it stop!"

"What are you talking about? There's nothing there!" Raph growled out, only to be silenced as April placed a hand up and set the other one on her temple. She closed her eyes and lowered her eyebrows in concentration.

"No, wait." Her eyes flew open and she gazed around in confusion. "I hear it too."

Knowing that April's intuition was usually never off, the other brothers paused and listened closely. Gradually, a buzzing sound that started off quietly grew louder and louder until it was voluminously audible. The puddle of dripping, glowing ooze began to morph into a massive and recognizable shape while the group watched with an expression of disgust evident on their faces.

They were ogling up at a monstrous fly that concealed almost the entire billboard.

"Way to go Mikey, way to go," Raph sarcastically complimented as he pulled his twin Sais out and expertly spun them around until the sharp ends were both pointed at the giant insect hovering dangerously above them.

"Talk later; fight now!" Leo commanded as he, Donnie, Mikey and April also rapidly yanked out their weapons. "Just squish the bug!"

**[Music: Transformers- Scorponok]**

The fly's wings flapped so hastily that they moved in a blur as it lifted itself off the billboard and floated over the battle-ready ninjas, its beady eyes studying all of them curiously while an unpleasant buzzing sound shuddered off of its body.

April shouted as she flicked her wrist and propelled her Tessen, aiming her iron fan at the wings to try and cut them off. Unfortunately, the fly was rather agile and easily dodged her attack.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey vaulted up towards the bug's face while spinning his Nunchaku like helicopter blades. The insect promptly backed up and boosted itself even higher into the air so it was out of Mikey's reach. Its mouth shortly opened and saliva dripped down, burning little pit holes upon the roof's surface as the acidic liquid made contact.

April wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Gross! This is like Baxter Fly all over again!" She shuddered as she recalled how the thin hairy arms had enveloped around her body and as it hauled her off to his little hideout. She had stared at the repulsive bug as he spit acid onto a candy bar and nauseatingly slurped it up like he was drinking soda through a straw. Being the daughter of a scientist, she knew it was a natural way for flies to consume their food, but it didn't make the whole progress any less disgusting.

"Hoo-ya!" Donnie spun his Bo staff quickly as he upsurged himself towards the fly and attempted to smack his staff against the side of the creature's skull. With an irked buzz it backed away once more prior to hastening its speed, and zoomed down towards the purple-masked turtle. Before it could even dribble more acid down, a fan whipped through the air and directly hit near the fly's eye, causing the creature to stop and shake its stunned head in surprise.

"Yes! I got it!" April excitedly whooped out as she caught her fan and spun around.

"Heh, that was pretty cool…" the tallest turtle murmured, a love-struck gleam in his eyes and dreamy smile on his face.

"Here's an idea; let's stop with the goo goo eyes and kick that thing's butt!" Raph snapped as he charged forward and ascended up to slash into the fly's stomach. The hefty insect seemed to have different plans though, as it took off away from the group and towards another area of buildings. The modest party trailed closely behind, with Mikey trying to distract himself.

"Fly swatter! We need a fly swatter! I can't hear you; I said we need a fly swa-"

"Now's not the time Mikey!" the leader in blue yelled as they advanced over roof tops to keep up with the colossal aphid.

"And I thought we were done running," the Kunoichi-in-training grumbled as she endeavored to overlook her protesting muscles and maintain a steady pace with the brothers. Luckily Donatello noticed her falling behind and immediately went back for her.

"Hurry, get on my back!" he offered. "No offense, but you can't match our speed yet. We'll go much faster this way."

"No offense taken," April huffed out gratefully as she clambered onto Donnie's back. Usually she'd be aggravated over the notion that she couldn't take care of herself while out training with her friends, but she knew Donnie was right and didn't want to slow them down, so she allowed herself to take the breath she needed and relax for a minute.

Pleased that she wasn't arguing with him, the tall turtle placed his Bo staff behind the back of April's legs to prevent her from sliding off as he hastened his pace to catch up with the others.

With yells and groans of frustration the Turtles jabbed and swiped their weapons at the gnat only to miss as the fly continually eluded each encounter.

Raph dropped down to one of the roof tops below and clenched his Sais tightly, a glower of impatience carved onto his face. "This is ridiculous! Just how fast is this thing?!"

"Well, on average most flies only go about five to seven miles an hour, but when they feel threatened that speed can get up to fifteen miles an hour. Since it's gotten larger, I can only assume the speed has also increased due to the fact that its wings are just as powerful, if not even more so," Donnie explained as he halted next to Raph. The red-masked turtle could only nudge the familiar annoyance he felt with his brainy brother's vast amount of knowledge to the side and process the information he'd been given in hopes that maybe he could somehow determine a way to take the bothersome pest down.

Leo had also slowed down to assess the situation, his lips twisting in thought. He scrutinized Mikey slinging his Nunchakus towards the fly's legs, only to blunder and somersault down.

"Man, Buzz Head is just too quick!" Mikey whined as he landed near Leo without taking his eyes off the insect.

April peered at Mikey from her spot on Donnie's back and simpered. "Buzz Head?"

"Well yeah. He has a head, and buzzing sounds come from it, so-"

Raph was so fed up with the chaotic situation that he felt like snapping something in half. "We get the idea!"

The blue-masked leader focused on the wings and then Mikey, who seemed oblivious to his brother staring. An idea swiftly dawned on him. "Hey Donnie, would water help bring this thing down?"

The intelligent turtle lowered April to her feet and viewed the roof behind him where Mikey and Leo both stood with transfixed expressions on their faces. He rubbed his chin with his thumb as the gears in his head began turning. "Well, water would definitely cause the wings to slow down, which would give us a huge advantage and allow us to strike."

"Good. Then that's what we'll do. Mikey, you up for some water balloon throwing?" Leo asked with a mischievous smirk.

The freckled turtle smiled widely and threw his hands up. "Yeah boy! Dr. Prankenstein is back in the house!" He whipped out an egg and threw it down, releasing a cloud of purple smoke. When the fog dissipated, Mikey was gone.

"So what now? Do we just stand up here with our thumbs up our noses while Dr. Doofus goes and does whatever?" Raph crossed his bulging arms, lips drawn up into a frown.

"Now, we distract."

The hot-headed turtle rolled his eyes but followed orders nonetheless. He raised his Sais up and rapidly clanged the tips together. The fly paused in its flying course and tilted its head quizzically towards the metallic sound.

"That's right! Come and get it!" he bellowed as he began racing around in a circle, continuing to clang his weapons and draw the pest closer to him.

"I guess we should help, huh?" April hoisted her Tessen over her head and whipped the iron fan, prior to dashing forward towards the bug as her weapon clonked it on the head and prepared to return to its master. She caught it with ease and jogged away while Donnie pulled out his Bo staff and jabbed it at the flying monster.

"Oh Buzz Head!" This time Leo was the one clanging his weapons together as he joined in the taunting of their enemy. He stuck his tongue out and took off running with their enemy in hot pursuit.

Annoyed buzzing expanded through the air as the fly heatedly beat its two wings together and stuck its front legs out to grab at Leo. Fortunately, the leader had keen reflexes and managed to fend off the attempted grab. He rolled off to the side and allowed Donnie, April and Raph to tag team with their name calling, which ended up proving to be almost too much for the insect. It froze in place and strove to twist its head in every direction, unsure of who to go for first.

"What the heck is Mikey doing?" Raph grunted, his patience rapidly growing thin. He could only provoke an enemy for so long before he became bored and craved action. Unfortunately for him, their current foe was quick, which created a challenge when it came to landing a blow.

And if Raph couldn't hit something, he usually ended up becoming irate.

"Booyakasha!"

The aphid twisted its head up too late to notice Mikey declining through the air with an armful of water balloons. He hurled the water-filled plastic down onto the fly's wings, causing the creature to lose control and crash onto the roof they were all currently assembled on. Donnie and April propelled themselves to the side while Leo cleanly sliced the fly's head off in one swift movement. The body twitched for only a second before the legs stopped moving altogether. April turned her head to the side to avoid the wave of sudden nausea she felt upon seeing crimson drops of blood dripping from the fly's headless body while Donnie soothingly rubbed her back, as he knew she had a strong connectivity to most creatures.

**[+]**

Mikey strutted towards his brothers with a large grin on his freckled face. "Way to go guys! High-three!" He held his fingers up, expecting to feel the palms slap against his hand, but instead continued to touch nothing but the night air. He blinked in confusion when he noticed the peeved glares his brothers were giving him, and hesitantly dropped his hand. "Uh, guys?"

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" Raph barked as he stomped over to the light-green turtle, who instantaneously appeared very uneasy. "Do you enjoy screwing up all the time?!"

Perceiving Mikey's wince at the sharp words, April decided to step in and try to calm the hot-headed Ninja down. "Hey, ease up Raph. It was an accident."

"That's all he creates are accidents; accidents and messes that we are always stuck cleaning up! This isn't a game! Grow up!" At the last two words Raph jabbed his finger against the middle of Mikey's plastron and stomped off.

Leo's gaze softened as he saw the crestfallen look his younger brother made. However, he knew Raph had a point, and Mikey needed to understand that he had to act more carefully. He took a deep breath to think rationally so he could put his words in a way that made sense. "Look, Mikey-"

"Don't bother. I get it. I'm just a screw-up." The youngest turtle pushed past his friends, his brows furrowed together and eyes narrowed down. He propelled past Leo, not even bothering to make eye contact with his leader. When he marched past April, his eyes met hers only briefly, but it was enough to see the pity in her eyes, and that stung a little. He didn't bother looking at Donnie because he already knew the genius of the group was probably angry at losing another ooze canister and that wasn't something he needed to be reminded of. His brothers didn't bother to stop him as he took off running, and he wasn't sure to feel relieved or hurt that they weren't trying to go after him.

He escalated over alley ways with his eyes straight ahead, like he was strolling on a path he'd sauntered on so many times that he could walk with his eyes closed and still know where he was going. When he had progressed far enough, he paused to inhale a deep breath and stare up at the full moon lingering above his head.

He felt upset, both at himself and his brothers. The emotion wasn't one he experienced often, thankfully, but when he did it usually hit him hard.

"Raph's right; I do always screw up." He frowned, uncaring of the fact that he was talking out loud to himself and nobody was around to listen. Gradually, he bent down and draped his arms over his legs so that his hands rested just above his ankles, warily observing the city below him.

Couples out on late-night strolls held hands, teenagers goofed off with their friends, a pizza boy rode by on his motor bike, and cars polluted the streets with their head lights. A strange thought filled his head as he sustainably beheld the people living their lives, unaware of the mutant that sat above their heads.

"I wonder if it's possible somebody out there could ever understand me." He frowned and drummed his fingers against his legs, only to stop when he heard a soft meow. He gazed to his right and regarded a runty orange cat perched on the ledge next to him, its head tilted to the side as it eyed the giant turtle curiously.

"Aww! Kitty!" Mikey cooed as he reached a hand over to pet the feline. The cat, however, seemed rather terrified, and hissed before it bolted off. He regarded his rather large hands and sighed. "I guess I am just different." He suddenly blinked and stood up, a smile on his face. "Wait! I have Ice Cream Kitty! Ice Cream Kitty understands me!" With a whoop of satisfaction he climbed down the side of the building and lifted the nearest manhole cover to prepare his descent into the sewers. Before he dropped down, he peered up at the moon one more time.

"Maybe somebody besides Ice Cream Kitty won't find me so strange," he thought to himself. The speculation lasted a mere moment before he once again felt excitement at seeing his frozen friend, and descended into the dark hole.


	2. A Misunderstood Soul

_**Thanks for the reviews last chapter. I am so excited!**_

**Chapter 2: A Misunderstood Soul**

The ticking clock of room 108 seemed obnoxiously loud, even more so than usual.

Usually Ms. Miller didn't mind teaching the art club on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for about two hours after school was officially let out, but at the moment she desired nothing more than to go home and pop some aspirin in her mouth to get rid of the headache pounding her temples. It seemed like every time the clock ticked off a second, her brain would just painfully throb. The sounds of paintbrushes swiping across paper and even the hushed murmuring of students exchanging meaningless bouts of conversation usually permitted her to relax and unwind after standing on her aching feet for over seven hours. However, as she eyed the fifteen students through her rectangular red-rimmed glasses and watched them giggle and act like they didn't have a care in the world, she could feel her impatience rising.

And perhaps a bit of nausea as well. Tomorrow had an acute probability of her requesting a substitute for the day.

She casually peeked up at the annoying contraption that taunted her every hour at her job and just about sobbed in relief as the minuscule slender hands pointed at 4:45. Without wasting even a precious second she stood up and clapped her bony fingers together, drawing several pairs of eyes to her as she struggled to keep the pained expression off her face.

"Excellent job today everybody! Please pack up, and I look forward to seeing you all on Friday."

She watched as everybody hastily packed up their supplies and scrubbed little blotches of paint off their skin at the classroom sink. Only five people had managed to polish their wrists clean before it was brought to her attention that the soap was out, thus making her head hurt even worse as she calmly marched over and switched the plastic container out so even more people could dye the inside of the ugly green sink's walls red, purple, blue and every other color of the rainbow.

By the time the clock read five she had slipped into her rose-colored jacket and anxiously surveyed the students evacuate, their voices quieting and footsteps fading away with every step they took down the tiled hallway. Just as she was about to step out the door, she noticed a motion out of the corner of her eye, and sighed.

How in the world had she forgotten about _her_?

She lowered her hand away from the light switch and drew her attention to the one other person in the room; the one person who reminded the widowed teacher that for some people art was a passion, a part of their soul.

Noelle Richards sat at her canvas, her emerald eyes focused intently on the board placed before her. Her lengthy platinum blond hair had two thick strands pulled away her from face and wrapped tightly behind her head while the rest of it fell a few inches past her shoulder blades. Light eyebrows furrowed together in concentration beneath her thick bangs as she smoothly caressed her paintbrush against the board. The faint sound of music could be interpreted emitting from the microscopic ebony earphone buds tucked firmly in her ears. She seemed lost in her own little world, unaware of the fact that her teacher was approaching her as she engaged in a private dance with the brush in her hand and the paint on the canvas.

With a mischievous smile, the older woman meandered over to the side of the board and clapped her hands together several times, earning a surprised jump from her student.

With a startled gasp, the blonde teen's body stiffened as she guiltily peered past her board and stared up into the face of her art instructor. She pulled her paint brush away from her easel before hastily yanking the small ear pieces out. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to get so caught up again!" she apologetically rushed out while her fingers fumbled around in her jeans pocket for her iPod. When she felt the small orange device in her hand she promptly pulled it out and pressed on the pause button before switching it off.

Ms. Miller chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head, her thick, grey curls bouncing around. "It's fine. Now, let's see what you've been working on today." She stepped over to Noelle's side and examined the canvas, her lips spreading into a pleasant smile.

A girl with jet black hair and a short scarlet dress appeared to be dancing, as was evident by her half-turned body and the way strands of her hair and dress seemed to twirl around her. Blotches of white indicating snow fell around her, and she was encompassed by grey tree trunks. It was a simple but peaceful picture, one that could convey many meanings.

"I'm not entirely sure why this was what I felt like painting today," Noelle admitted as she nervously wrapped her earphones around her iPod. "It was just an image that filled my head all day, and I merely wanted to bring it to life."

"And you most certainly did a wonderful job in doing so. However, it is time to leave so if you wouldn't mind-"

"Oh! Of course!" The sixteen-year old went about cleaning her area up, rushing as if she was in a race for her life. The teacher stood by with an amused smile as she watched her most talented student practically trip over her own feet to wash her hands and paintbrushes before wrapping a sheet around her painting and tucking it into the art club's designated drawer for projects. She put the tubes of paint and brushes back in the classroom's paint box and wrapped her black and blue satchel around her shoulders before finally deeming herself ready enough to leave. By that time, Ms. Miller was standing at the room's entrance with her keys out and jangling as she prepared to lock up.

"I am so, so sorry," Noelle once again apologized as she followed her professor out of the room and waited patiently in the hallway. She buttoned her ebony long-sleeved cardigan sweater over her azure shirt and gripped her fingers along the straps of her bag while she watched the older woman lock the door.

"I already told you that's it fine." Ms. Miller dismissed the topic with a wave of her hand after she'd made sure the door was securely shut. They both proceeded to walk, relishing in the silence of the desolate hallway. In the distance, a basketball bouncing and friendly shouting could be heard as the basketball team practiced for their next game. The players, a couple janitors, and the two girls were the only ones left in the school, but that was something to be expected on a late Wednesday afternoon.

They strolled in companionable silence to the school entrance before exiting outside. The end of September would be within only a few days, which meant lower temperatures and frigid winds. At the moment though, the breeze was pleasant and called for only a sweater or light jacket. The art instructor forced herself to take a deep breath so she could at least try to attempt enjoying the pleasant weather while she could. She couldn't stand the cold, and the thought of waiting outside in such brisk weather to catch a taxi didn't appeal to her one bit. Her gray eyes traveled down to her quiet student, who returned the look with timid smile.

"Have a good night, and be careful walking home."

"Thank you Ms. Miller. You as well." With those words, Noelle turned the opposite direction and began her venture home, once again putting in her earbuds and letting the world around her be drowned out by music. She was unaware of her teacher inspecting her, wondering what could possibly transpire at the young woman's house to bring about such an air of loneliness.

**[][][]**

The world around her was one bursting of energy and simple things that brought smiles to everybody's faces. So many times she had allowed her eyes to wander around as she beheld the sights of friends laughing together and people jovially conversing over their cellphones, and she couldn't help but speculate what it was like.

She arrived at her apartment building and squinted up, noting the light in her mother's office was on. It wasn't a surprise, as her mother essentially resided in the modest space. However, Noelle wasn't planning to stop home first. Instead, she accessed the building and proceeded to enter the first door on her right. She dug into her satchel and pulled out her ring of keys, picking out a particular one that she used to unlock the door in front of her before she stepped in.

"Grandma? You awake?" She shut the door behind her and ambled past the small kitchen area. The TV in the living room was off, meaning her grandmother was either sleeping or working on a new project. Sure enough, an elderly woman with curly ivory hair and round glasses stepped out from behind a light blue wall, her wrinkled hands patting the stained white smock encircling her slim waist. Sandra Jackson was an artist who once worked as an art professor and even had her own art studio, but after retiring she moved into the same apartment building as her daughter and granddaughter. She continued to paint though, and even had a room in her home space dedicated to working on her art projects.

"Well hello sweetie! How was class today?" The old woman casually removed the paint-covered cloth off and gave her oldest granddaughter a hug after checking to make sure not a single smear of wet paint stained her fingertips.

"It was fine. I finished another painting in Art Club today," Noelle responded with a smile as she noticed the twinkle of pride in her grandma's cerulean eyes.

"And I can't wait to see it. I've also been working on my own little composition, but I'll just show it to you when it's finished." Sandra clapped her hands together and progressed towards the kitchen while Noelle trailed behind. "Now, I hope you don't mind spaghetti for dinner tonight."

The blonde teenager placed a hand gently on her grandma's back and waited for the pair of wisdom-filled sapphire eyes to look at her before she shook her head. "Grandma, I've told you several times you don't need to cook for me. In fact, why don't I cook for you for once?" she affectionately offered. Out of all the people in her family, Sandra was the one Noelle was closest to. She looked up to her grandmother immensely, not just because of the aged woman's artistic talent, but also because she was a lively and imaginative woman who could see beauty in just about anything. Noelle visited her almost every day, and they would often end up eating dinner together. She volunteered whenever she could to help out and at least try and take care of her grandmother, as the woman was 68 and getting older every year.

Unfortunately, the elderly woman was beyond stubborn and hated the idea of somebody taking care of her. "That's nice of you dear, but I'm perfectly okay with cooking. I've done it nearly my whole life, and I don't plan on stopping now!"

With a defeated sigh, Noelle lowered her hand and stepped over to the circular kitchen table, where she took a seat on one of the four chairs. She focused on the ligneous surface beneath her, and started tracing her fingers over the mahogany line patterns. She could see a miniature version of herself jumping from one line to another; sometimes she teetered on the rim before finally jumping down to the next area and either walking or dancing her way across the horizontal edge. She looked peaceful and happy, and for a second Noelle could almost feel what that was like.

Her day dream was disturbed by the sound of a key turning, which was followed by the entrance of a man in his mid-forties. "Hey mom! Hi Noelle!" the man cheerfully greeted as he closed the door behind him and slipped off his shoes. He gave the smaller woman a hug before he proceeded over to the dining table and sat directly across Noelle with his arm draped across the back of his chair.

"Uncle Nick," Noelle returned the greeting with a polite nod of her head. A few days during the week, her mother's brother Nick would stop over and check up on his mother. Sometimes he would go upstairs afterwards to see how his sister was doing, but most of the time he would head back home to his wife Melanie and twelve-year old daughter Ella. Noelle loved her aunt and cousin, but she was the closest with her grandma and uncle. Nick could usually brighten her day with a laugh, which was something he was used to doing, as he was a Pediatric nurse at a local hospital. He was a humorous and cheerful man who had also proved to be a good listener, especially to his niece, on numerous occasions.

"Long day?" Sandra inquired as she broke spaghetti sticks over boiling water, her eyes not drifting away from her task.

Nick elongated his long arms up and yawned. "Yeah. We were pretty busy today, so I ended up working a double." He ruffled the back of his chestnut hair. "There were actually quite a few kids today with broken bones, either from playing sports or just being too silly." His blue eyes looked up at the ceiling, as if deep in thought. "Hey, didn't Savannah break her leg before?"

Noelle perked her head up, her eyes filled with curiosity. "She did? How?"

"If I remember correctly, she was climbing a tree in one of the local parks and fell out of it." Sandra stirred the water, but this time she looked over at her son and granddaughter with a reminiscing smile. "She said she was trying to touch the sky. What an imaginative child she was."

"In a way, she still is," Nick added. "I mean, she does have one of the most popular book series out right now. "

Noelle remained tranquil, her eyes once again drifting down to the table. She was well aware of the fact that her mom was a bestselling author when it came to writing, especially with her new series, "Hello Earth". The premise of the story was the standard alien invasion plot, but there were also characters that the reader could become easily attached to, along with a deep story and insanely clever ideas. She would be lying if she claimed to not have read the books herself, but she couldn't help but feel a certain morose in doing so. Her parents were divorced, mainly due to the fact that they seemed to love their careers more than each other. Aside from having a mother who was talented with words, she had a father who specialized in graphic design, which in turn had him traveling out of state constantly.

Basically, she barely spent any time with her parents, and that in turn had caused her to become lonely. As a little girl she'd admired her grandmother's art, and decided to try her hand at being creative as well. She had turned to painting as a way to escape the isolation she felt in the "real world", which had ended up making her somewhat of an outcast.

"Noelle. Eat up."

Once again, the blonde teenager found herself being snapped out of her thoughts. The aroma of spaghetti filled her nostrils as a plate overflowing with noodles and sauce was placed in front of her. "Thank you," she politely acknowledge, waiting for grandmother to take her seat before she began eating.

She stayed quiet as the three of them shared a meal while listening to her uncle talk about his day, and occasionally chipping in the random bits about school when she was asked to. Her grandma's cooking was excellent, so even one who barely had an appetite would find themselves indulging in the simple dinner. She smiled at her uncle's amusing stories, and then proceeded to clear the dishes off the table once everybody had finished.

"Just load them in the dishwasher hun. I need to run it anyways."

Noelle nodded at her grandma's instructions and loaded the dishware into their respectable slots in the machine before she glanced up at the faint yellow circular clock hanging over one of the ivory squared arches of the homey kitchen. The time read only about 6:30, but she craved the sanctuary of her bedroom.

"I think I'm going to go home. I'm a bit sleepy," she announced with an apologetic expression as she walked back over to the table and bent down to give them both a hug.

"Alright sweetie. Get some rest."

"Sweet dreams, kiddo."

She gave them both a friendly wave before heading back to the door, grabbing her bag, and then leaving. Her two relatives sat in silence for a second at the table, listened to the knob jiggling as Noelle made sure the door was locked, and then sighed in unison.

"Poor girl is miserable. I wish I could do something for her." Nick leaned forward and pinched the bridge between his nose in frustration. "I mean, what is Savannah thinking doing this to her own kid?"

Sandra eyed the door sadly. "I wish I knew."

**[][][]**

"Mom? I'm home."

Of course, Noelle should've expected not to receive an answer. All her mom did was work, with her fingers hastily typing away on her laptop and zoned away from real life. Her dad was the same way with his job, and it was lonely.

Absolutely lonely.

She dropped her house keys in the small brown basket placed on a cherry wood square table next to the door, and proceeded over to her mom's office. The door was closed, as usual, so she gently knocked on it and then pushed it open.

Savannah sat at her computer as she usually did with the same focused face she wore every day, like a mask she never took off. She didn't so much as acknowledge her daughter as she feverishly typed like her life depended on it.

"Mom, did you eat?" Noelle asked, her eyebrows furrowed together in concern. As somebody who was always focused on meeting deadlines, her mother would sometimes get so absorbed in her work and trying to finish her chapters on time that she would often forget about eating. Noelle did the best she could to make sure her mom was getting the proper amount of nutrition, but she could only do so much. After all, she was a teenager trying to focus on getting good grades, and she usually had her own little projects that she worked on outside of the art club.

"Yeah. Had a sandwich." The reply was short and almost robotic as the petite woman didn't so much as even blink.

"Anything else?"

With a tired sigh, Savannah finally tore her hazel eyes away from her laptop screen. "Hunny, I had cereal and drank coffee this morning. I'm fine; worry about school. I'm a grown woman who can take care of herself." She stood up and perambulated past her daughter to enter the bathroom on the other side of the corridor. When the door clicked shut, Noelle shook her head sadly and walked to her room.

_"But you aren't taking care of yourself. You barely sleep and eat. I can see the circles under your eyes. You're worrying me mom." _

She flipped on her light switch and obliged herself to be engulfed in the fluorescent lighting of what was basically her bedroom mixed with an art studio. All the lavender walls were covered from floor to ceiling with her own personal artwork, along with pictures of other artists' work that inspired her. In the corner of her room was an easel she received for Christmas from her grandmother a couple years ago. She had a little artist desk at the foot of her bed with a lamp perched at the top of it, along with wide sketch pads and buckets of charcoal and pencils that were sorted by hardness and color.

She strode over to her easel and lowered her bag gently to the ground before proceeding to change into her pajamas; a long-sleeved baby blue shirt with matching colored pants. As she picked her brush off her dresser and began brushing her hair, her eyes caught a glimpse of the rectangular picture frame placed diagonally on her bedside table.

**[Amazing Spiderman 2: You're My Boy]**

She painstakingly lifted the frame up and studied the picture secured beneath glass. It was a photo of her and her parents, taken when she was around five or six years old. She was standing between them, with her little fingers curled around their hands. Her hair had been much shorter then, barely meeting her shoulders. However, her eyes were sparkling and there was a true smile on her face, one that she couldn't remember having since their divorce. Even as she looked at the photo, her parents didn't seem entirely happy. Her father, with his dark auburn hair, mustache and eyes of jade hidden behind glasses, displayed only the littlest upturned curve at the corners of his thin mouth.

Her mother looked a bit more convincing with her smile, but she showed no teeth and her eyes were glazed with grief. She had the appearance of woman having a conflict within herself over the love she felt for her daughter and the distraught emptiness she felt with the man she called husband.

Noelle recollected the announcement of the divorce when she was ten years old. She'd been greatly dispirited, and here sorrow only increased when her parents dived more into their careers than actually spending time with her.

She'd enclosed herself off into her own little world at school, and turned to drawing to cope with the depression she felt. Her classmates didn't understand, and whispered around her.

_"Why doesn't she ever smile? Do you think she knows how to laugh?"_

_ "She's a weirdo. She'd rather draw in her little sketchbook than talk to somebody."_

_ "I heard her dad left her. Too bad."_

_ "People that quiet are crazy."_

_ "What a boring girl."_

She'd spent countless nights staying up late as she painted and drew with music blasting in her ears as she tried to evade the claws of loneliness that grasped at her every day. The only time she felt even a twinge of happiness was when she was with her grandma or allowed her creative mind to take over.

She set the frame back down and crawled onto her bed. She slid her window frame up with ease and stuck her head out of the building, allowing the New York evening air to caress her face. The view from her room wasn't breathtaking, but she was able to people watche and observe some shops and buildings. Sometimes she would use the fire escape near her kitchen and escalate to the top of the apartment building so she could view the world from a different angle. It was especially alluring at night when the streets and windows glowed in unison, and even with all the light pollution she could still see a decent amount of stars speckled across the sky.

Her gaze lifted up, and a small smile spread across her lips as she regarded a full moon enveloped by an ocean of stars. The sight was lovely, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for herself when she realized that beneath all the magnificent night sky, she was still isolated.

"Please help me." Her voice was reticent but strong as her jade eyes pleaded with the sky. "I can't take this anymore. I just want to make a friend. I'm scared. It's been so long since I've even had somebody to call a friend. Please let me find somebody who will accept me and not think I'm a freak. Please."

She didn't know if she was talking to the stars, herself, or a higher being, but she knew the words needed to be vocalized. It wasn't like the storybooks where something magical happened after she made a wish, but she did feel a little better. She lowered her window back down, but not all the way, as she wanted to allow the noise of the city lull her to sleep. Even though it was barely past seven, her mind felt exhausted, and she instantly succumbed to her dreams.

That night, she dreamed of the moon and stars,and of times when she knew how to be content with her life.

**[+]**


	3. The Day Things Changed

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter. I will try to get the next one up as soon as possible. Also, who else is excited for Raph being brainwashed? ; ]**

**Chapter 3: The Day Things Changed**

Noelle savored lunch period.

Next to Art Club, it was the only other time of the school day she could serenely get lost in her drawings. She usually brought a lunch from home and sat outside in the courtyard, basking in the fresh air and sunlight. She always had at least one sketchbook and two pencils with a durable eraser in her bag so she could tune out the world with her music and allow her imagination to roam free on paper.

Her freedom to sit outside wouldn't last forever though. She knew that eventually the changing of the seasons would bring about unpleasant chills that would confine her into the stuffy building, where her solitude would be even more known as she was compelled to isolate herself at one of the round tables or with classmates that would probably just send her nothing more than an brow raise before carrying on with their social life.

It was something she would have to deal with, just as she'd done the past several years.

A hand on her shoulder caused her to recoil away in a unsettled manner. Her eyes flew up and met a pair of bright cerulean orbs peeking out from beneath tangerine colored bangs. A girl with a yellow headband and freckled face held her hands up apologetically. Not wanting to be rude, Noelle quickly paused her music and yanked the earbuds out of her ears.

"Oh, uh hi there. Sorry for interrupting you. I just wanted to tell you that your drawing is amazing. I'm impressed."

Noelle blinked in surprise before bashfully looking away. "You think so?"

"I really do! My name is April by the way. We have Algebra and English Lit. together. I always see you drawing, and I was curious to see how good you really are." April had a sincere smile, and Noelle felt herself relaxing.

"It's very kind of you to say so. Thank you." She'd heard compliments on her art before, but that was usually from her grandma, uncle, or art teacher. For a fellow student to actually approach on her own and admit how impressed she was truly flattered Noelle, but she also wasn't entirely sure how to react except to show expected gratitude.

"Hey yeah, that isn't bad!"

Noelle stiffened as another voice made itself known from behind her, this one belonging to a male. She apprehensively tilted her head up and saw a boy with missing teeth, dark hair, and auburn eyes peeking over her shoulder.

"Casey Jones is my name. I have Algebra with you too. I gotta say, I've never seen you talking to anybody. You a loner or something?"

"Casey!" April slapped his arm and glared.

"Ow! Take it easy Red!"

"Well don't be rude!"

"I suppose he's right," Noelle placidly admitted, causing the two friends to cease their bickering. "I don't mean to be."

Casey rubbed the back of his head, suddenly looking rather ashamed. "Hey look, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything. I'm sorry."

Noelle shook her head. "It's okay. Thanks for the compliment." She felt awkward. He didn't seem like a bad person, just somebody who would say what they were thinking without always considering what negative impact their words might have. She'd heard worse from other people behind her back, so at least he had the audacity to speak to her face and even apologize when there really hadn't been a need to. She wasn't used to it.

"There you two are. What's taking so long?" A bespectacled girl with black and purple hair ambled over and impatiently placed her hands on her hips, her violet lips thinned into a frown.

"Sorry Irma," April apologized. "We'll be right there."

Irma raised a brow before fleetly giving Noelle a look over and turning away. Judging by the irritated groan Casey gave, Noelle easily deduced that Irma was somebody Casey didn't care much for.

"I suppose we should go," April suggested. She and Casey were starting to walk away before she turned around and smiled. "Hey, why don't you join us? You don't have to sit over here by yourself."

Noelle's heart jumped at the fact that somebody actually wanted to eat lunch with her, bringing a small smile to her face. As she thought about the scenario though, she realized she'd have absolutely no idea what to say. She truly wanted to go join them, but something was holding her back.

"I would love to, but I would like to finish this picture before class." She wanted to yell at herself for blowing off the one chance she'd received at making friends again.

"Well how about tomorrow then?" April offered.

"Yeah, we'll save you a seat," Casey chimed in as he revealed a toothless grin.

Noelle beamed, grateful that they were giving her another chance. Yeah, she'd be ready by tomorrow. "Okay."

**[][][]**

For the first time in what felt like forever, Noelle found herself actually feeling merry during the rest of the school day. She was excited that somebody had actually talked to her, and even invited her to lunch. The happiness dissipated once the chime signaling school was out echoed through the classroom.

Once again, she drifted alone through the crowded hallways, navigating around scant social groups that for some odd reason chose to stand directly in the middle of the corridor. She saw April, Casey and Irma jaunt out of the building together, and for a moment she was tempted to join them. Her nerves got the better of her though, and so she plugged her earbuds in once again to tune out the real world as the sounds of life threatened to drown her.

She needed an escape, and she knew exactly where to go.

**[][][]**

**[American Beauty: American Beauty]**

The Subway Station was crowded. People weaved around each other to head towards their destined platforms as they made their journeys home from a long day of work or school. Noelle descended down the station steps and pulled out her Station Card. She swiped the card swiftly through the card reader at one of the mini gates and entered when she heard the beep confirming her access. She shuffled over to Station 2 and patiently stood behind the yellow line.

Within a minute the ground rumbled, and the Subway screeched to a halt in front of her. Doors on both sides opened so those inside the train could safely exit while the ones waiting to board could enter without bumping into each other. Noelle opted to stand in the car, her hand wrapping itself around one of the poles adjacent to the door. The opening slid shut, and off the train shot through multiple tunnels of darkness.

She pressed her forehead against the silver pole, her eyes staring ahead in a trance like state as she continued listening to her music and ignored the way people thudded into her or conversed over her head. It was like she was some invisible person that people could feel but not actually see, and it stung. Of course, the people around her were strangers, so she wasn't expecting any of them to so much as spare her a glance, but it seemed to happen everywhere. School, the public, and even her own home had her feeling like a ghost sometimes. The fact that somebody actually saw her today was incredible, but she didn't know how long it would last.

When would she actually feel visible again?

Her stop at last arrived, freeing her from the sea of cramped passengers. She hastily stepped up the stairs, and indulged herself to breathe in the fresh air of Central Park.

The park was her favorite place to go when it came to wanting to break away from life. She appreciated strolling along the path and eying the widespread verdant fields surrounded by rows of hefty trees that seemed to serve as protection from the city's bustling chaos.

Noelle located one of her favored benches that had an adequate perspective of one of the numerous lakes scattered within the park. She made herself comfortable on the seat and pulled out her sketchbook and some colored pencils from her bag. Once the book was positioned on her lap, she began swiping lines across the crème colored paper. She allowed herself to once again be swept away in her art, barely noticing the shadows that casually crept over the park and the emptying pedestrians that packed up to leave for the day.

The picture was completed just before sunset. Noelle flexed her fingers to get rid of the cramped tension among her joints as she evaluated the work she'd finally finished. Numerous fairies with various colored wings were whirling over a lake's surface, their feet leaving ripples along the azure surface. It was an alluring design, and it had proven to be an ideal distraction, but she still found herself feeling unfulfilled. Art could only occupy her for so long, and once she came off of her high she was hit full force with the realism of existence, which could be rather unsettling.

**[+]**

Noelle put her supplies away and sighed before lying on her back across the bench so she could stare at the darkening sky. Blended navy blues and amethysts overlaid the celestial sphere looming over her head. Hesitantly, she elevated a hand upwards, envisioning the colors spreading across her fingertips like paint. She pondered what it would be like to make contact with the sky, soaring above the clouds and flying among the stars. It was something she'd often found herself contemplating about, not even concerned about just how impossible the thought really was. She gradually lowered her arm, not even bothering to glimpse around and consider if anybody was staring at her.

After all, she was invisible.

**[][][]**

By the time Noelle exited the station, the sun had set and left behind the moon in its place. She knew it was dangerous to be unattended in the park so late in the day, but she couldn't help herself. It was such an enchanting place, and she wished she could visit every day and just get obscured in the natural loveliness of it all.

Unfortunately, she had class tomorrow, and she still needed to eat dinner.

She entered one of the alleys she usually used as a shortcut to get to her home faster. Never before had she encountered any problems, nor felt in danger as she infiltrated the cast shadows of fire escapes and dumpsters. It was a brief walk that would lead into her section of the city, and after turning a couple streets, up to the front door of her apartment building. As a safety precaution, she turned her music off so she could be alert.

She hummed quietly to herself as she sauntered between buildings, her eyes glued ahead as she wondered about dinner and if her mom had even bothered to eat. A clanging sound from behind halted her movement, prompting her to reverse her attention as her heart pounded.

Three men with the exact same face were fixated on her with a blank expression. She heard another sound from the opposite end, causing her to focus on the opposite side. Three more men who looked exactly the same blocked off her route, each of them clutching a gun. Fear shot up her spine as she stood directly in the middle of the alley. _"I'm trapped! What's happening?" _she thought to herself in a panicky voice. Her hands latched tightly around the strap of her bag.

**[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Adolescent Genetically Altered Shinobi Terrapins]**

The center one from the group behind her stepped forward, his legs making a strange metallic sound as he did so. "Are you the one known as Noelle Richards, daughter of the one known as Savannah Jackson?" His voice sounded peculiar, almost robotic as he spoke, and he didn't bat his eyes even once.

She felt nauseous at the alarming fact that this perilous man not only knew her name, but her mom's too. "H-how do you know?"

The man drew out his own gun and pointed it at her, the other two behind him following his example. "You are to come with Kraang, daughter of the one known as Savannah." All three walked forward, as did the men on the other side.

Never before had Noelle felt so terrified. Her legs shook as she realized her and her mother's lives were in danger, and she had absolutely no idea what was going to happen to them. There was no way she could take these men on, especially when she was alone and unarmed.

She did the only thing she could do.

"Help!" she yelled out, pushing the limits of her vocal box as far as she could so she could be heard. Two men reached out, each one grabbing one of her arms.

"No! Please! Let me go!"

"Booyakasha!"

The men painfully gripping her wrists were ripped away from her, causing her to plummet on her knees as her assailants were yanked into the shadows. She shielded her ears and squeezed her eyes shut as gun shots were fired all around her.

"Six of you against one girl? That's pathetic, even for you morons!"

Her eyes shot open just as she identified one of the men flying past her and slamming into an open dumpster, its lid falling over her attacker with a heavy slam. She could apprehend people fighting with what sounded like multiple weapons, but she couldn't detect them. She inspected all directions to try and get a glimpse of what was going on, but only saw what appeared to be short bursts of sparks followed by what resembled robots shutting down.

And then there was silence.

"Are you a hurt?" a male voice called out from the shadows.

Noelle remained on the ground, holding herself up with her arms. She couldn't tell where the tone was coming from. She swallowed, trying to wet her dry throat. "I'm okay," she meekly replied.

"Good, now let's get outta here," a gruffer voice suddenly spoke. "I'm bored already."

She perceived the sound of movement, and she realized that she couldn't let her own chance at finding help disappear. "No, please wait!" she blurted.

Their movement halted, and she knew she had gotten their attention. She stared up and saw four pairs of white eyes observing her. She shuddered, but understood she had no choice but to beg. "Those men…they are after my mom! They asked about me and her and since they tried to take me I think they're going after her next!" She would never speak so boldly to anybody, but she was frantic. "I know I shouldn't get you involved, especially after you saved my life, but I'm scared for her. Please…_help_." The last word came out as a whisper as she hung her head down.

Reticence filled the air for only a few seconds before it was broken.

"I think we should help her dudes."

"Wait! Mikey!"

Something landed in front of her, startling her and causing her to gulp as she timidly tilted her head up. She was only able to make out a dark figure within the shadow.

"My name's Mikey. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm one of the good guys! Just…_please_ promise not to freak out."

She nodded, unsure as to what he could possibly mean.

A lime green turtle materialized out of the darkness.

She should have panicked. When he warned her about his appearance she was expecting to see a deformed person, not a turtle possessing human qualities. She was definitely startled, but as she ogled at his freckled face she saw a friendly smile and a pair of gentle azure eyes peeking out from within the eye holes of an orange mask. They were kind eyes, and she knew that he didn't mean her any harm.

He crouched down in front of her, and held out his three-fingered hand for her to take.

"Let me help you up!" he cheerfully offered.

She paused at the offer of contact before she casually slipped her petite hand into his broad one, permitting him to pull her in one swift movement. His skin was surprisingly soft, and even a little warm. He beamed at her and let go of her hand.

"Yo bros! She's totally okay! Come out now!"

After what appeared to be a moment of hesitation the other three emerged, revealing that they were turtles as well. They each wore a different colored mask; red, purple, and blue.

"These are my bros!" Mikey proudly gestured. "That's Leo, Donnie, and cranky Raph." He pointed at each turtle respectively, earning a gruff from Raph.

"I'll show you cranky!"

"Knock it off," Leo intervened as he stepped forward, his eyes scanning Noelle's face as if he was judging her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Noelle," she shyly answered, her eyes drifting to the ground. "I live in an apartment building on the corner of Etna and Elm Street. I was walking home and these men just grabbed me. I don't know what's going on, but I think they are after my mom." Her voice trembled but she swallowed the knot in her throat. "Can you please help me?"

They were all silent, as if contemplating their decision.

"I think we should. We helped April out and now we're all good friends. This girl doesn't seem bad," Donnie suggested, his reddish brown eyes softening when he saw her saddened features.

"Come on dude! We have to help her! We help people!" Mikey pointed out.

Leo glanced over at Raph, who rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Up to you, chief."

The leader finally nodded, nearly causing Noelle to topple over in relief. "Alright, let's go. We'll take the roofs. Mikey, you carry her."

She blinked in puzzlement. "Carry me?"

"You got it bro!" Mikey bent down and patted the back of his shell. "Hop on!"

Feeling a bit awkward and bashful, the blonde teen slowly climbed on. The shell texture was rather rough, but it allowed her to get a good enough grip to secure her position.

"Ready?"

"I-"

"Hold on, dudette!"

She squeaked in surprise as Mikey and his brothers instantaneously leaped several feet off the ground like they weighed nothing. She watched in awe as the ground beneath them increased in distance. She pressed her knees tightly into the side of his carapace as they scaled up the fire escapes with ease until they flung themselves onto the roof and shot forward. Noelle held onto Mikey for dear life while the terrapins vaulted across deep rifts and buildings with amazing agility, seemingly uncaring of the fact that one misstep could send one of them falling to their death. She might've admired the view of the streets any other time, but her primary focus was reaching her home and making sure everything was okay.

When her apartment building came into view, she pointed ahead to her kitchen entrance. "I live in that one over there!" she told Mikey.

"Got it!" He accelerated his speed. "Hey dudes, follow me!"

Without question his brothers pursued, safely landing on the fire escape right outside her kitchen. Noelle hopped off and ran inside.

When she entered the kitchen, she immediately knew something was wrong.

The dining table and chairs were knocked over, as if a struggle had occurred. She dashed down the hall, analyzing the bathroom and bedrooms first before checking the final room. If her mom was anywhere it would be in her office.

The door was marginally ajar. She hesitantly pushed it in.

Her eyes widened and her heart dropped.

She fell onto her knees, dismayed by the scene before her.

Her mother's computer lay with a cracked screen on the ground in front of her overturned desk. Papers were scattered all over the floor and a bookshelf lay toppled over a heap of books. Savannah's coffee mug was in pieces, a puddle of the liquid seeping into wooden floor panels, and scarlet window drapes were ripped and hanging off a bent rod.

The turtles quietly entered in behind her. Mikey and Donnie dismally eyed the scene while Leo shook his head and Raph glowered.

Noelle felt numb and defeated as she knelt on the floor, hands covering her mouth in horror.

They were too late.

Her mother was gone.

**[+]**


	4. A Hidden Home

**_Apologies for the delay, my dears. Sometimes life gets in the way, but rest assured that this story will be completed and I am fully committed to it. Also, so many of you left wonderful comments last chapter. I am very pleased that a lot of you like Noelle. I was worried many would consider her mopey, but I am glad that you all are able to understand how she feels and hope for the better for her. Thanks for your continued support. [Also, I am insanely excited to see our boys in their larping gear again!]_**

**Chapter 4: A Hidden Home**

She felt like she was trapped in a nightmare.

Her throat tightened. She bit her lower lip from behind her fingers, resisting the urge to break down and sob. She hadn't cried in front of anybody for a long time, and she wouldn't start now. The turtles certainly wouldn't want to deal with her tears.

"I'm sorry we didn't get here in time," Leo apologized. He glared around the chaotic room, feeling disgusted. "The Kraang just don't know when to stop."

Noelle lowered her hand and forcefully swallowed the knot, her eyebrows furrowed together at the unfamiliar word. She turned her head and stared at the leader questioningly. "The Kraang?"

"The idiots that tried to take you away," Raph explained with venom in his voice. He studied her face, emerald eyes narrowed. Noelle felt uncomfortable under his gaze, but she didn't break the eye contact. "Are you sure you or your mom haven't heard of them? Kinda strange they were after you."

He was suspicious of her, and she didn't know why. "I promise you I don't know them. I don't understand why this happened. I just want my mom back." Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke, but she did her best to steady it. She didn't want them to have to feel sorry for her, but she also needed Raph to know that she would never trick them in such a way.

"Why doesn't she stay with us tonight?"

The group all looked at a beaming Mikey. "It'll be cool! Not only would we be keeping her safe, but we could also have a slumber party!"

Noelle blinked in surprise. "What?"

Donnie rubbed his chin. "Actually, it's not a bad idea."

"Right?! A slumber party would be awesome!"

The tallest turtle sighed in exasperation. "No, not the slumber party party." He ignored Mikey's pout. " I meant her staying with us. We can't really expect her to stay here tonight when they could come back looking for her. We should probably figure out what the Kraang want with her and her mother."

Noelle raised her hands up and shook her head. "You offer is very kind, but I don't want to be a burden. Besides, what if they come to your place next?"

Raph punched a fist into an open hand. "Then we pummel them!"

"Besides," Leo added with a confident smirk, "our home isn't above ground, so they won't have an easy time finding us."

Now she was really confused. "Not above ground? Then where?"

Raph folded his arms and faced Leo. "So what do you say?"

The leader grimaced and stared down in contemplation.

"We need to help her dude."

"I agree with Mikey. She's in danger here."

"Well, almighty leader?"

Leo exhaled a deep breath. "I guess we don't really have a choice." He peered down at Noelle with a somber expression while she stared back at him nervously. "You have to swear that you won't tell anybody about where we live. It would jeopardize me and my family, and I won't allow it." He knelt down in front of her, his eyes boring into hers. She nearly shuddered from the intensity. "Do I have your word?"

She hastily nodded. "I promise. I would never do anything to hurt any of you."

Satisfied with her answer, he stood and held out his hand to help her up. She took his offer and was pulled to her feet with ease. "Alright, go get your things."

"This is gonna be so awesome!" Mikey cheered as he tossed his hands up in the air. "I love slumber parties!"

"She probably isn't in the mood, you dork." Raph rolled his eyes and turned to leave the office.

A thought abruptly entered Noelle's head, and another surge of panic shot through her. "My grandma! I have to make sure she is okay!" She rapidly dashed out of the room before spinning around and meeting the anxious expressions of the masked terrapins. "They might go after my grandma too, and she lives on the first floor!"

"Go ahead. We'll wait here. If she's missing come get us right away," Leo directed in a calm and steady voice. She nodded and bolted out of her apartment.

_"Please let her be okay!"_ She hastily descended down the stairs and shakily pulled out her set of keys. She willed her hand to stop quavering as she struggled to insert the proper key into the keyhole, almost slamming the door open once she heard the click.

Sandra sat on one of the living room sofas watching a game show while snuggled tightly into her bed rob and drinking tea. She nearly dropped the cup in a startled matter as she watched Noelle barge in looking shaken and panicked.

Noelle almost wept in relief as she sprinted over to the older woman and threw her arms around thin shoulders. "Grandma! You're alright! Thank goodness!"

"Why, of course I am dear." Sandra rubbed one hand over her grand-daughter's back and used the other to pick the remote up off the seat next to her so she could turn the TV off. "Is everything alright?" she asked with a puzzled tone.

The blonde teenager gazed up with the most somber eyes Sandra had ever seen, and it broke her heart.

"Grandma, somebody kidnapped mom, and they tried to take me too."

The ticking of the kitchen clock was the only sound perceived within the apartment. It seemed like a cruel joke, but Noelle wasn't that kind of person, and the devastation evident on her face was proof enough.

Sandra wasn't sure how to react. Her thin arms quivered as she lifted vein-coated hands up to Noelle's face and gently stroked a boney finger over ivory flesh. "I…how? What happened?"

"Six strange men who were armed approached me, asked if I was Savannah's daughter, and then they grabbed me. Luckily, I was saved by four kind people who heard me screaming, and they came back home with me to make sure mom was okay." She cast her eyes down morosely. "Unfortunately, when we arrived the place was a mess. Mom's office is all torn apart and there are signs a struggle took place."

Sandra's breath hitched, and then the tears came. They poured over her jutted cheek bones and dripped off her chin. "Oh honey, I am so sorry." She drew Noelle in for a tight hug, her heart aching at the loss of her daughter and the danger her grand-daughter had been in. "Do you know why?"

"No." The blonde girl's heart shattered at her grandmother's sorrow. "My new friends are having me stay at their house tonight. They can protect me"

"A-and you trust them? Are you sure?" Wise azure orbs met young verdant ones.

"I'm sure grandma." Noelle gave a small smile to assure the elderly woman. "I think you should stay with Uncle Nick tonight though, just in case they come back or find out you're related to us."

"I-this is just so much." The old woman dropped her head in her hands.

"I know, but this is to keep you safe. We'll be okay, grandma, I promise."

Sandra wiped the wet trails off her face and took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Alright. I'll call Nick in a moment. Shouldn't we call the police first though?"

Noelle sat next to her grandma on the couch. "I don't think the police will help in this case. These men weren't normal, and my friends seem to know a lot more about them. My heart is telling me to trust them, so I think I should."

Sandra was still dubious about the entirety of the situation, but she knew her grand-daughter was an intelligent girl, and she would support her decision.

"What about your father? Have you called him?"

The teen stared down at her hands. "No. I will tomorrow. He's probably busy working again."

Sandra was sorry that Noelle had to feel like this, alone without both parents. Maybe these new friends would help her break away from her daily tribulation.

"Alright. Let's call your uncle."

**[][][]**

Nick promised to arrive as quickly as possible, much to Noelle's relief. Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't stay, as the turtles were still expecting her to come back and she wouldn't be impolite and make them wait any longer than necessary.

Sandra wanted to meet her grand-daughter's rescuers, but she also knew that she needed to hurry up and pack so she could leave as soon as her son arrived. The two shared a hug, with Noelle vowing to call the next day and give an update on the situation.

And then she was ambling back into her apartment, still in disbelief over all that happened. She was relieved that at least her grandma was out of harm's way, but was disheartened over the distressing news she'd had to give.

She pushed the door to her apartment open, having not locked it on her way out. There really hadn't been any point in doing so. The turtles weren't in the kitchen, so she wandered down the hall and was about to check to see if they were still in her mom's office when she saw her bedroom light on. Curious, she shuffled into her room and saw all the turtles standing around, studying their surroundings.

"I'm back," she serenely announced as she sauntered towards the group. They all shifted towards her, each one with a look of awe on their face.

"Did you draw these?" Donnie inquired as he gestured to some of the hand drawn art work she'd displayed on her walls.

"Yes. I love art, and I also like to hang up other people's art work to help inspire me." She pointed to several pictures of art pieces that she had taped up. Over the years she'd cut or printed out images that instantaneously attracted her or left her stunned by the passion that was hidden within the piece. Sometimes when she lost her muse, she would peruse the pictures and become motivated to bring her own works to life, just as so many before her had.

Mikey's mouth dropped open as he stared wide-eyed at an immense detailed painting of a forest. "Woah! You're like, a Ninja with a paintbrush!"

It was the most unusual compliment she'd ever received, but she found herself giggling. The sound surprised her, as it wasn't one she'd made for a long time. It felt pleasant though, and even made her heart feel lighter, regardless of the circumstances. The orange-masked turtle beamed, looking rather pleased with himself at getting her to smile.

"Noelle, we should probably get going," Leo advised. "Don't bring too much, or we'll be slowed down."

She nodded her head and went to a grab a backpack she usually used on the rare occasion she stayed at her dad's place. She heard the sound of Mikey whimpering in protest, as he wanted to continue looking at everything. Raph grunted a "come on" as he at last dragged the orange-masked turtle out, and then they were gone.

It didn't take long for her to pack. She grabbed pajamas, a small sketchbook with a pencil, a clean shirt, a hairbrush and hair tie, tooth paste, a tooth brush, and soap and shampoo in case they had a place for her to shower. As she flipped her bedroom light off she entered the hall and glanced sadly into her mom's office, knowing how devastated she'd probably been at the sight. She dismally turned away and entered the kitchen.

The turtles were standing near the open fire escape exit, allowing a pleasant breeze to glide in. Leo was already outside against the railing, looking down and seemingly keeping watch in case those Kraang creatures decided to return. Donnie leaned against a counter with his thick fingers drumming against the side, his head tilted down toward the floor as Raph stood parallel from him with his shell against the wall. Mikey was pacing around the middle of the kitchen floor, clearly unable to remain as motionless as his brothers were. He paused and observed Noelle with a grin when she arrived.

"Sweet! You're ready! Now we can go home and you can meet my kitty and we can watch Super Robo Mecha Force Five while eating piz-ow!"

Raph drew back his hand while Mikey rubbed the back of his head with a pout. "I don't think she cares about that right now genius."

Leo rolled his eyes from his position, turning his head around so he could face the others. "We need to get going. Noelle, you go ahead and get on Mikey's back again. Remember, you absolutely cannot tell anybody about where we are taking you."

"I won't," Noelle once again promised.

Mikey crouched down in front of her, allowing her to easily climb onto his carapace. "Alright! Time to show you our secret lair!"

His brothers vaulted up and Mikey pursued, earning a startled gasp from the blonde girl. She still couldn't comprehend the fact that they were able to soar up like they weighed nothing, or that she was on the back of a talking turtle. They sped across the roof tops like before, pushing their feet off cemented surface to reach higher roofs and dropping down to access the lower ones. She couldn't even begin to fathom where they were going or how they were doing all this with ease, but it was something they clearly did often, and she wasn't going to question their methods now.

They suddenly plummeted down to the street below, and she found herself gripping on to the edge of his shell even tighter as he burst out laughing.

"Don't worry girl! The Mikey-nator's gotcha!"

"Still one of the dumbest nicknames I've ever heard," Raph mumbled when they smoothly landed on their feet. They were standing in an alley Noelle didn't recognize, but she presumed they weren't too far from her place.

Mikey crouched down again, and she took this as her cue to climb off. She was a bit baffled as to why they had landed in this specific location, and it only increased when Donnie walked forward and lifted up a manhole cover before he jumped into the sewers below, followed by Leo and Raph.

That's when it dawned on her.

_"We don't live above ground."_

A sewer. The turtles lived in a sewer.

"That's where you live?" she asked in disbelief.

Mikey grinned. "Yeah! Pretty neat, right? "

She wasn't sure if neat was exactly the right word, but it certainly was interesting. She didn't want to appear rude, and it was definitely the safest place for her to be at the moment, so she instead decided to radiate her gratitude with a smile. "Yes."

"Wait until you see our actual home though. It'll blow yo mind! Go ahead, and I'll cover the entrance behind you." He leaned in closer to her and held up a hand to cover the side of his mouth as he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Don't want anybody to discover our _amazing_ hideout."

She chuckled before she roved over to the entrance and cautiously descended down a ladder. Her smile promptly vanished as an unpleasant smell infiltrated her nostrils.

"Yeah, you'll get used to that," Donnie reassured her upon seeing the squeamish expression on her face. "You don't notice it after a while."

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to seem insulting to your home," Noelle swiftly apologized as Mikey dropped down behind her. She didn't want to seem like an ungrateful snob who felt like the place was beneath her standards. "It's just different for me, that's all. I really am grateful to you all for helping me out."

"Don't worry about it," Leo waved it off as he advanced ahead. "We have a friend who acted the same way when she first came here."

The others trailed after him. "Yeah, wait until you guys meet! April is pretty rad!"

Raph shrugged. "She's alright."

"She's amazing," Donnie added on in a dreamy voice.

It was a rather odd coincidence to Noelle that April just so happened to be the name of the girl she'd met earlier that day, but she decided to brush it off. After all, there were probably several Aprils in New York.

She kept up with the group as they strolled through a dimly lit passage that was echoing with drops of water and Mikey's soft humming. The walk was rather peaceful and silent, making Noelle feel awkward. She wasn't sure if she should say something to break the hushed atmosphere, or just not say anything at all. Situations like these weren't something she felt comfortable in, so she decided to just concentrate on Mikey's tune.

Luckily the walk was rather abrupt. The corridor wasn't protracted, and all they had to do was turn a corner before a considerable area of light disrupted the darkness. The ground below had turned into subway tracks once they'd exited the main tunnel, and when Noelle saw the row of turnstiles up ahead she realized exactly where they were heading.

The turtles were living in an underground abandoned subway station.

It was almost eerie, but in an exhilarating way. She'd heard of deserted subway stations before, but had no idea where they were located or even seen pictures of one. She wondered what caused it to be vacated, but supposed it was lucky for the turtles so that they could have a place to live.

"Sensei, we're home!" Mikey called out as he excitedly bounded over the mini barricade.

"He could be meditating! Don't interrupt him!" Leo scolded as he and the others hurdled over. Not trusting herself to surmount without falling on her face, Noelle merely pushed the spinning bar, cringing at the rustic squeak and pondering over who this "Sensei" person was.

"And who do we have here?"

Noelle flinched at the intuitive male voice that that seemed to have arose out of thin air. Her eyes widened when she looked in front of her and saw what appeared to be a rat looming over her. She really shouldn't have been shocked after having been rescued by four talking turtles, but it was still surprising. Just like Mikey though, he had kind and compassionate eyes that made her feel calm and safe.

"Sensei this is Noelle!"

"Michelangelo, perhaps you should allow her to speak," the mysterious rat admonished with a raised brow.

**[Avengers Age of Ultron – Farmhouse]**

Noelle's mouth dropped open. "Mikey is short for Michelangelo?"

"Indeed. I named all my sons after the great Renaissance painters."

"That's amazing!" The apprehension in her spontaneously dissipated for an instant. It thrilled her to know that somebody else besides her grandmother could appreciate the masters she looked up to. "That is my favorite time period of art!"

He looked thoroughly appeased. "Really? And who is your favorite?"

She beamed. "Michelangelo! The David is my favorite work of art. It's my dream to see it one day."

"Oh yeah son!" Mikey cheered triumphantly. "She said I'm her favorite!" He rocked his hips from side to side while rhythmically popping his hands in the air like he was listening to upbeat music.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Actually, she said Michelangelo the _artist_ is her favorite. "

"I can do art! I've got some skills!"

"Like being impossibly annoying?" Raph growled.

"I am Splinter. Forgive my sons for their petty arguing. They seem unable to have civilized conversations." He glared at the turtles, who immediately grew tight-lipped and silent, before he returned his focus to the girl in front of him. "Now, what troubles have befallen you, my child?"

Her bashful nature reappeared as Noelle found herself to be the center of attention. She couldn't just dwell in his home though without offering some sort of explanation, so she swallowed her nerves and forced herself to speak. "I was on my way home from Central Park when these guys that all looked alike corned me in an alley and asked me if I was the daughter of Savannah, my mom. When I asked why they wanted to know they grabbed me and started taking me away. I screamed for help, and I guess your sons heard me."

"We did," Leo confirmed.

She continued. "They saved me, and were about to leave after asking if I was okay when I suddenly begged them to help me. I felt like these strange men were going after my mom, and I wanted to make sure she was safe. Mikey and the others kindly agreed to do so, and took me back to my apartment. When we got there though-" her voice hitched and the knot once again squeezed into her throat. "-she was gone."

"It was the Kraang. Those jerks just don't know when to stop," Raph informed his Sensei through clenched teeth. He hated it when their enemies succeeded, especially when it involved hurting other people.

Spinter sighed. "I see." He placed a hand comfortingly on Noelle's drooped shoulder. "I am sorry for what you have gone through. You are welcome to stay here as long as you need to."

Overcome with gratitude, Noelle respectfully bowed her head. "Thank you sir. I apologize for the inconvenience."

"On the contrary; it will actually be nice to have somebody here who can also respect the arts." Splinter smiled and lowered his hand before turning to look at his sons. "Give her April's old room. There is plenty of space in there for the both of them in case April stays over again. Make sure she is comfortable."

"Hai sensei," the boys replied in unison, hastily bowing their heads as Splinter walked off into a separate room.

"Ooh! You want a tour first?" Mikey asked while bouncing on the heels of his feet.

Donnie shook his head. "Let her rest first. She's been through a lot today."

Noelle was thankful to Donnie for speaking on her behalf, but she felt a little rueful when she noticed Mikey's pout. "If you'd like you can show me around tomorrow."

This seemed to lift Mikey's spirits. "Yeah! And wait til' you meet my kitty! She's the most awesome thing in the history of ever!"

"Mikey, that doesn't even sense," Leo chided with narrow disapproving eyes. "Noelle, follow me."

She was guided down a hallway that wound around the left corner near a set of stairs, where there were a pair of doors hidden. One door had a sign on it that read "Ladies", indicating that it was a restroom, and the other one was blank. Leo opened the blank door and flipped on a light switch to reveal a modest-sized room with a bed, dresser, and bedside table. It was a homely setup that would be more than enough to accommodate her stay.

"It's nothin' fancy, but it'll work, right?" Raph had entered the room and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed.

"It's wonderful," Noelle sincerely replied. "Thank you all again for everything."

"No problem. Let us know if you need anything," Leo offered.

"I will."

She bid the brothers good night and observed as they exited the room. Mikey was the only one who remained, as he seemed to be contemplating something. When he finally snapped out of his little trance, he turned to her and coyly smiled like he had just come up with the best idea ever.

"Hey, are you hungry?"

As if answering, Noelle's stomach grumbled, her cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment. "I didn't eat dinner yet, so I suppose I am."

The youngest turtle grinned, apparently delighted with her answer. "Sweet! Be right back!"

She watched in confusion as he suddenly bolted out of the room, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Noelle decided to unpack her things while she waited for him to return, which didn't take long at all. She had laid her last item out on top of her dresser when he reentered her room holding a plate of steaming pizza and a glass of water.

"This is the plainest piece of pizza we have around. Sensei just likes his with extra cheese, which I guess might be a rat thing, unless this was how he ate as a human too." He smirked and held out the items.

Noelle smiled and took the plate and cup from him. "Thank you." She sat on the bed and began eating the slice, being careful not to get any grease on her or the comforter.

Mikey plopped down beside her. "So do you play any video games?"

She set the half eaten slice down and waited until she'd properly swallowed her food before speaking. "Not typically, but I imagine they are quite fun."

"Wanna play tomorrow? We have a bunch of them, and a really sweet arcade machine too. It'll be fun!"

"Sure." The answer came out much less cheerful than she anticipated. She was jubilant that somebody else willingly wanted to devote time with her, but at the moment it was hard for her to feel content about anything except for the fact that she'd met some good people that day and her grandmother remained safe.

Mikeys's lips turned down, understanding just how uneasy she must feel. He recalled how troubled he and his brothers were when they discovered that Master Splinter had disappeared because of the Rat King's mind control powers. They had been able to get their father back in a timely manner, but Noelle's mom would be absent for a while until they figured out where the Kraang could have possibly taken her. It was far worse for Noelle right now, and he knew that she would need friends to help her out.

Noelle finished her slice and drank the rest of her water. "Thanks for the food. I really appreciate it."

Mikey reached over and took the dishes from her. "Me and my bros are here for you, you know."

"I know." Her voice was soft and sad. "I'll be okay. I'm just tired."

She wasn't just tired and he knew it. "We've got your back. We'll find your mom." He stacked the cup on top of the plate and used his free hand to pat Noelle on the head. "Ninja honor."

Noelle forcefully smiled. "I know. Thank you Mikey. You've already done so much for me."

He winked. "Like a turtle do! Good night!" He marched out of her room, cheerfully waved, and closed the door behind him.

She tranquilly sat in silence for a moment before she decided to change into her pajamas. She placed her dirty clothes in the top dresser drawer and brushed her hair before she turned the light off and climbed into bed, isolated with her thoughts.

Her heart ripped in half.

She cried hysterically into her pillow, trying to keep her mouth pressed against the material so nobody could hear her. Her body shook as tears streamed down her face. _Where was her mom? Why was this happening, and could the turtles really help? What if they came after her grandma next?_ It was too much for her to bare, so she let all her troubling emotions pour out of her.

"Mom. Please come back mom," she whispered, her lips trembling. There had been so many moments in her life when things seemed hopeless, but tonight would always stand out as perhaps the worst day of her life.

Mikey was positioned outside her door, his eyes cast down and saddened. "I knew she wasn't fine." He wanted to go in and help her, but he knew that right now she wanted to be alone. He forced himself to walk away from her room, hoping that in the future she would be comfortable enough to go to him or his brothers when she was distressed.

Because nobody should ever have to cry alone.

**[+]**


	5. A Disturbing Hypothesis

_**Apologies for the delay guys. I've been dealing with personal issues, plus my summer class and work. Thanks for your patience and please enjoy the chapter. (Also, Mikey is supposed to get a love interest in the next episode. I wonder how that's gonna work out.) : P**_

**A Disturbing Hypothesis**

She didn't know what time she'd fallen asleep, only that it had readily come to her after she let out all her agony and worry through muffled sobs. Her pillow had become drenched from soaking up each fallen tear like a sponge, causing the side of her face to become slick and hot with moisture. Eventually her body had succumbed to pure exhaustion, her eyelids heavy and fatigued. With a feeble attempt she wiped the water droplets from her cheeks and allowed herself to submerge into a deep slumber, hoping that tomorrow would bring alleviation and answers.

**[][][]**

Scarlet numbers glowed in a blurry mess as her eyes fluttered open in a passive manner. She blinked a few times to try and get her perception in order before she was finally able to make out the time of 8:32 on the bedside digital clock.

Noelle compelled herself into a sitting position and elongated her arms up, relaxing the muscles that had grown rigid from undisturbed sleep. As she lowered her arms, she was finally able to accommodate to the darkness of her temporary space, memories of the previous night playing out in her mind.

She was staying in an abandoned subway station in the sewers with four ninja turtles and their rat father.

Rather than reacting with disgust by the entire outcome, she found herself feeling gratified. Her saviors had not only clashed against abnormal and threatening beings to rescue her, but they also took her in after attentively accompanying her home to try and save her mom. Noelle didn't really understand anything about the turtles except for their names and that they were experienced fighters. She pondered about the story of their Sensei and why they called him father when they clearly weren't from the same species. She supposed that anybody could be a parental figure regardless of blood relations, but how did it all occur? Had they always possessed their current forms?

She decided to thrust the questions aside and not bring them to attention until the opportunity presented itself. She didn't want to be appear ignorant and intrusive.

Noelle kicked the blankets off and coursed her way over to the extensive dresser so she could brush her hair. As she gently dragged the bristles through meager knots she realized that at the moment she would customarily be in school. It felt strange, but she wasn't troubled in the slightest about it. Nobody would observe that she was absent except for when attendance was called, and even then the teachers doubtlessly wouldn't be keen enough to place a face with her name. The only one who might acknowledge her absence was her art professor, as today was art club and Noelle never skipped a meeting.

She protruded her head out of her room and peered around, listening for any sort of noise in case somebody else was awake. She heard the distant clanging of pots and pans, followed by boisterous humming and a dinging sound. Assuming that it was coming from the kitchen, Noelle followed the harmony across the lair, her eyes observing her surroundings and perceiving objects that she hadn't really acknowledged the night before.

She noticed a tire swing hanging above a modest basin of water, located near a broad pit that had an expanded bench concealed in pillows encompassing the inside of a square. Towards the rear of the pit was a hefty TV, with a navy blue bean bag chair arranged in front of it. She saw a spiraling ramp ascending upwards to a platform, and kitty corner from that was a punching dummy.

Their home was actually rather charming, but it made her sad that there weren't any windows for them to look out of, although it might have been callous to taunt them with the outside world when they couldn't really live among it.

The humming increased in volume as she passed the pool and came across a doorway with a deep violet curtain draped across the front of it. She lifted the delicate material up and proceeded through, where she encountered Mikey tapping his foot and serenading in front of a lit stove. As if anticipating her, the freckled turtle ceased his singing and turned around with a grin.

"Yo! Good morning!"

"Good morning," Noelle courteously countered. She stood there, dubious as to what to do. She wasn't accustomed to being a guest in somebody else's home, so she found herself divided on whether she should stand around and linger until given instructions, or perch herself at the table.

Mikey beamed and turned back around to face the stove. "Breakfast will be ready in a sec. My bros should be up soon, although I think Leo is already up meditating. I don't know how he does that so much, 'cause it's like boring, ya know?"

She really didn't know. "I've never meditated before, but it looks relaxing."

"I mean, I guess so. I just have a hard time concentrating on one thing because my mind wanders over to TV and comic books and pizza and ice cream kitty, and I just have to move. Sitting around is so _boring_." He discarded a jumble of steaming pancakes onto a platter and placed it on the table implanted directly in the center of the room.

"I can help set the table," Noelle proposed. "I can also clean up later if you'd like."

"Nah, I got it. Sit down, girl! Dr. Cookenstein has it all under control." Mikey winked and gestured over to one of the stools.

Just as she sat down the curtain was once again nudged open, this time by Donnie. He looked rather fatigued, especially with the way his posture hunched over and his feet dragged along the floor.

"Morning D!" Mikey sang out as he balanced a stack of plates and cups while drifting towards the table.

"Hi Mikey," Donnie drowsily responded with a yawn. He expressed a tired smile at Noelle. "Morning."

"Good morning." She watched as he picked a coffee pot up off of a coffee maker and began loading it with water.

"Do you drink coffee?"

"I don't every day. Sometimes I will have a cup after mom gets hers, but that is usually only on the weekends and when I feel like getting up early to work on my art." Noelle had never been a fan of the stuff, but she found out that with the right combination of sugar, cream and milk she was able to create a flavor that was drinkable and provided her a great deal of stamina.

"Want me to make you a cup?" Donnie offered as he shut the water off and placed the pot back in its primary location.

"If it's not too much trouble. Thank you Donatello." She gave a nod of her head to display gratitude. The purple-masked turtle grinned, unveiling a slim gap in his teeth.

"No problem. You can just call me Donnie if you want. Our names are kinda long."

"But they are also unique and wonderful," she radiated with sincerity in every word.

Mikey eyeballed Donnie as he switched the machine on, his tongue sticking out in revulsion. "Yuck dude. I don't know how you can drink that stuff."

"It's actually not that bad when you put the right amount of cream and sugar in," Noelle kindly pointed out.

"I happen to be a tea drinker myself," Master Splinter chimed as he entered into the kitchen, pursued closely by Leo. "Good morning my sons." He politely bobbed his head towards Noelle. "And good morning to you."

"O-oh. Good morning sir." Not wanting to appear impolite, Noelle promptly stood up and returned the gesture.

Raph tiredly walked in, hoisted up in a stretch as he yawned. "'Sup? Morning Sensei."

All of them took their seats at the table, waiting for Mikey to finish setting down the rest of the food. Donnie placed a steaming cup of coffee, along with a spoon and bowel of cream and sugar, down in front of Noelle, who thanked him and began stirring the contents in. Soon enough there was syrup, butter, and plates loaded with both bacon and pancakes.

"Breakfast is served, good lady and chaps," Mikey announced with a British accent. He took a seat between Splinter and Donnie, scarcely sitting down before he began shoveling food into his mouth.

"Michelangelo, have manners," Splinter admonished with a shake of his head. "Do not be rude in front of our guest."

"Oh, it's okay. Really." Noelle spread the syrup and butter over her pancakes when it was passed to her, relishing in the pleasant smell that wafted through the air.

Leo swallowed his food and set down his silverware for a moment, careful not to drip any remaining syrup onto the table. "So Noelle, how did you sleep last night?"

She allowed herself to properly swallow a piece of pancake before answering. "Very well, thank you. I went to sleep right away." She didn't seem to detect how Mikey cast his eyes downwards with a frown before he continued eating. It didn't go unnoticed by Splinter, who watched his youngest son's reaction from the corner of his eye but said nothing, only gave his beard a long stroke before he proceeded to take a sip of his tea. "Once again, thank you all so much for taking care of me."

"Again, it is not a problem, my child," the humanly rat assured her. "You are always welcome here."

Donnie wiped his mouth. "When we're done eating I'm going to do some research and see if I can come up with a theory about why the Kraang went after your mom. I'll probably need some information from you first, if that's okay."

"It is."

"Then I'm showing her around the lair!" Mikey excitedly exclaimed. "Wait until you meet Ice Cream Kitty and see all my cool action figures and-"

"Mikey, do you ever shutup?" Raph grumbled out.

"Aww, is Raph still sleepy?" Mikey smirked. "Eat up bro!" He shoved a piece of bacon into his hot-headed brother's mouth, causing the older turtle's eyes to glow with fiery anger.

"THAT'S IT!"

Raph chased the freckled turtle around the kitchen and eventually out into the den. Leo and Donnie carried on as if nothing unusual was taking place while Splinter sighed and shook his head. "Kids."

There was an eventual crashing noise followed by Mikey yelping and what sounded like Raph growling. Noelle worriedly glanced out towards the direction the sound came from. "Should we check on them and make sure they're alright?"

Leo shook his head. "Nah, they're always like this. Mikey seems to enjoy getting under our skin, especially Raph's."

She couldn't understand why somebody would try to purposefully get another person enraged enough to rush after them. "Why do you think that?"

"Almost every single day he is either pranking somebody, touching things he isn't supposed to, or annoying us until we give him attention." Donnie wiped the remnants of his breakfast off of his mouth with a napkin and gathered his dishware as he stood up from his stool. "He's a great fighter, and I like him as my brother, but sometimes his energy gets to be too much, and it can honestly get exhausting trying to keep him out of your area."

"Oh, you mean like bedrooms?"

"Each of my sons has a room or area where they spend a lot of their time at. For Donatello, it's in his lab. Raphael is usually fitness training with either the practice dummy or in our small exercise room, and sometimes he will be in the garage. Leonardo prefers meditating or practicing his skills in the dojo, which is where I will often spend my time as well. Michelangelo does not have a personal area. He either watches TV or drifts around trying to get somebody to pay attention to him." Splinter gently set down his cup of tea. "He is an excellent ninja and quite intelligent in certain aspects, but he has a hard time paying attention to something for too long."

"In other words, we love him, but he's obnoxious," Leo plainly stated as he gathered Noelle and Splinter's dishware along with his own and headed to the sink. Noelle thanked him and looked fixedly down at the table. Mikey seemed like an amiable and humorous person, and although his family seemed to love him, they certainly had a lot of criticism towards him and his conduct. They were pleasant people, but it made her rather somber that the young turtle was seen as an annoyance. Maybe he was just lonely sometimes, like her.

"I'm going to go do some research and see if I can figure out what happened to your mom," Donnie announced as he refilled his coffee cup. "You said her name was Savannah, right?"

She earnestly nodded her head, hoping that the tall turtle would discover something about her mother's situation. "Yes. Her name is Savannah Jackson and she is an author, divorced from my dad."

"Alright, I'll get on that right away." The purple-masked terrapin exited the kitchen with a determined glint in his eye, barely managing to get out of the way as Mikey and Raph ran back into the room.

"Sorry D!" The lime-green turtle was cheerfully laughing, apparently enjoying the chase. Raph glared, his muscular arms shooting forward and wrapping tightly around his younger brother's waist. Mikey squeaked as he was lifted into the air, his feet kicking forward helplessly.

Splinter stood up, and in one swift moment disconnected his sons and knocked their heads together, causing Noelle to cringe while Leo looked amused. "I hope you two are quite finished now," their father sternly said. "I would hate for our guest to be inconvenienced with your rude behavior." Noelle was about to insist that she really wasn't bothered, but Splinter looked over with a wink, and she relaxed.

"Hai sensei," the brothers mumbled with their heads bowed. Splinter walked off, a sly grin on his face that only she saw. When he had left the room, Mikey was met with a glare from Raph.

"What?"

"You're an idiot," Raph grumbled as he flicked his brother's forehead and followed after their father. Mikey rubbed his forehead before he broke into a grin and turned towards Noelle.

"Ready for the tour?"

His blue orbs seemed to glimmer with excitement. She found herself unable to say no.

"Okay."

He pumped a bulky fist into the air triumphantly, the corners of her mouth turned slightly upwards at his excitement. "Sweet! Let's go!" He bounded towards the refrigerator and yanked the freezer door open. "Meet Ice Cream Kitty!"

Confused as to what he was talking about, she scooted over to the frigid compartment, unsure what to expect. Her eyes widened when she saw cat made of ice cream wiggling around and meowing.

He literally had meant a cat constructed of frozen dairy.

"Isn't she so cute?! You can pet her!" Mikey tickled the cat's chin, causing her to purr and shimmy around even more. "Ice Cream Kitty, meet Noelle!"

The cat seemed to be studying Noelle as she hesitantly lifted her hand up and held it out in front of the feline's nose. Ice Cream Kitty leaned forward and sniffed the teen's fingers before lovingly licking her fingertips. A little pile of ice cream was left behind, sending a crisp chill down to Noelle's hand.

"Is this normal?"

"Yeah! You can eat it! It means she loves you," Mikey cooed as he rubbed noses with the cat and licked the remnants off. It was one of the most unusual things she had ever witnessed, but she trusted his opinion and stuck the digit in her mouth. Strawberry deliciously infiltrated her taste buds.

"This is really good!" she exclaimed, surprise evident in her tone.

A look of pride crossed the turtle's face. "See!" He nuzzled the cat's nose again before stepping back. "We're gonna go, Ice Cream Kitty. See you later!"

Noelle waved at the cat, still in disbelief. "Bye Ice Cream Kitty. It was nice to meet you."

The cat meowed happily as the door was closed over her. Mikey's eyes shrank as his dimples showed up. "You like her?"

"I do. She seems very sweet," she sincerely admitted, blushing at the unintended pun. "I'm surprised that there is a cat made of ice cream in your freezer though."

Mikey guiltily rubbed the side of his face. "My fault; it was an accident. If Donnie knew, well, he'd have my shell. She used to be a real cat but some stuff happened and she turned into ice cream."

"I won't tell him," she reassured him, wanting to prove she was trustworthy, although she was rather curious over how a cat had transformed into food. "Accidents happen."

"Exactly! Nobody else seems to get it!" He revealed a set of teeth. "Thanks! Now on with the tour!" He grabbed her arm and tugged her out the room and into the main one located near the entrance. She nearly stumbled as he unexpectedly yanked her forward.

"This is our TV! It's so beautiful!" Mikey bolted forward and enveloped his arms lovingly around the television before planting kisses all over the side of it. "Good TV."

"I don't really watch TV at home," she shyly admitted. "I've always read or drawn instead. Sometimes I watch game shows with my grandma, but that's it. I've just never had an interest in it."

A sly grin crossed his features as he stood up. "That's because you're not watching the right stuff. Later on we can watch this awesome anime called Super Robo Mecha Force Five, which has a giant robot and a monkey and it's just so cool!" Stars flickered in his eyes.

"I've never really watched anime before, but it seems to be popular. I haven't heard of that one though." Many times while she sat in class, conversations between her classmates encircled her head like a toxic bubble. Most of the time the topic didn't hold her attention, but periodically she'd heard a few people discussing a show with an irregular title, and every so often she'd feel slightly intrigued with the phenomenon and imagination of it all. She was actually looking forward to watching this so-called robot anime.

He dragged her all over. She was shown all the restrooms, the garage, the impressive Shellraiser, the dojo (where she attempted to be silent as Leo looked like he was meditating), and Donnie's lab, where Mikey caused them to leave when he started touching random bottles. Just before he took her upstairs to their rooms, she implied that she should perhaps change so she wasn't promenading all over the place in her pajamas, not to mention she really wanted to shower.

"Yeah sure! I'll probably be playing the Space Heroes pinball machine or something. Maybe I'll even go bug Donnie or Raph."

The thought of him riling up Raph again caused her to uneasily shuffle her feet. She wanted to advise him against purposefully picking a fight, but decided it wasn't her place to do so, so she nodded in acknowledgement and proceeded to the restroom next to her room.

**[][][]**

The bathroom wasn't elegant, just a typical subway restroom. However, two shower stalls had been installed in, placed kitty corner from three toilet stalls and three sinks with a large mirror running across, which was very convenient. Fresh towels and washcloths hung up on a horizontal silver bar near the bathing area. She grabbed one of each and placed it just outside her shower stall before laying her fresh clothes on the sink's counter.

The hot water was welcoming, but she didn't want to waste too much time. Within 10 minutes she was completely clean and emerging from the stall with her towel wrapped tightly around her. She rapidly dried off, wrapped the towel around her soaked hair and proceeded to get dressed and brush her teeth. She brushed through thick strands of platinum blonde hair before pulling it back into a ponytail. Satisfied with her cleaned-up appearance, she retreated from the bathroom and went to find Mikey.

Luckily, it appeared he hadn't really gotten into any trouble, as he was deeply involved in a game of pinball. The dinging and clanking sounds grew louder as she curiously made her way over to see how good he was. The last time she'd played the game was when she was about 7 and had been taken to an arcade by her grandmother and parents as a treat for doing so well in school. She hadn't been marvelous at it, but she'd enjoyed herself and the challenge of it.

It was one of the few fond memories she had.

"Hey, you're done!" Mikey exclaimed, his eyes quickly flicking to her and then back to the machine. "You wanna play?"

Did she? She looked at the machine nervously and then back at the turtle, whose score was climbing higher. "I, uh-perhaps later."

"Yeah sure, no sweat. Almost done." He slapped a button on the side of the machine, expecting one of the flappers up front to block the small ball from escaping. Unfortunately, he was a second too late, as the ball slid right past and into the hole. "Awww no! I was so close to beating Casey's high score!" He fell onto his knees in defeat, his voice dropping down to almost a whisper. "You are a cruel game."

She had never seen anybody react like that towards a game before. She also noticed he had said Casey, which was the name of guy hanging out with April. Both names had been mentioned by the turtles, and she wondered just who these people were. "I'm sorry." It was all she could think of to say towards such abnormal behavior.

To her surprise he hopped back onto his feet and grinned. "Nah, don't worry about it. I can play this any day. You have to come see my room though!" He ran up towards some stairs and she quickened her pace to try to keep up. Four doors, two on each side of the wall, was the sight she was met with when she had reached the last step. She assumed that each door led to one of the brother's rooms. Sure enough, Mikey began pointing towards each one and naming the brother the door belonged to. The one farthest from the stairs on the right hand side was his.

"Ready to see my-"he looked around, his voice taking on a mystical tone, "-secret lair?"

She smiled, wondering just what kind of a room he really had. "Sure."

Mikey mocked an evil laugh and pushed his door open, stepping aside so Noelle could enter.

She blinked in disbelief.

Honestly, the room was a mess. For the most part, she assumed it was a typical teenage boy's room, with a radio, surfboard, and a shelf of comic books and action figures, but were boys really this messy? A pair of stained underwear (why would a turtle need underwear?) lay wrinkled on his unmade bed, the sheets draped sloppily over a spotted turtle rug. Pizza boxes were strewn on a dresser, table, and desk, along with half eaten slices of pizza and crushed cans of pop. The smell of the room was tolerable, but not very pleasant. The area was interesting though, and definitely seemed suited to his tastes.

"Ta-dah!" he happily stretched out his arms. "What do ya think?"

She bit her lower lip, trying to think of the right words to describe that chaotic room. "Well, it's uh…very you?" Immediately she felt a sting of guilt, hoping that she didn't sound insulting. Perhaps a few more words could be added. "I like the interesting atmosphere."

He blinked owlishly at her before his lips turned up. "I have no idea what that means but I knew you would like it!" He flopped onto his bed and pointed at one of his shelves. "You can borrow one of my comics if you want. Those things are amazing!" Noelle wasn't a big comic reader, but she was a tad bit fascinated by the art confined within the pages. Curiously, she picked one out and began thumbing through it. The story appeared to be about aliens.

"Oh, that's a real good one! Actually, I was reading that when these weird mutant squirrels popped out of a homeless man and entered Raph's mouth and he ended up throwing them up, and then they multiplied!" Just as Mikey finished speaking, she turned to a page showing what looked like a man throwing up the creepiest looking creatures she had ever seen. She shuddered and quickly closed the magazine before placing it back on the shelf.

He sat up and patted the bed. "You can sit down if you want."

"Are you sure?"

He studied her nervous expression, wondering what she could be worried about. "Of course! We're friends!"

Noelle felt a burst of happiness in her chest. A friend.

She had a _friend_.

She sat down next to him, allowing her weight to sink into the bed. Her cheeks flushed with elated joy, ecstatic that for the first time in many years she had somebody she could actually call a friend. It was almost overwhelming.

Mikey wondered if she didn't have many friends, but that was a surprising thought to him, as she seemed like a cool person. He was just glad he could make a friend feel cheerful. "Hey, are you just really shy or something?"

Noelle stared down at the floor, suddenly feeling too bashful to meet his curious gaze. "I…I suppose I am. I don't really talk to a lot of people, or have a lot of friends." She wistfully sighed. "It's a long story."

"Well we just gotta get you to come out of your shell then!"

She immediately looked back up at him, only to be met with a grin and determined glint in his eye.

Mikey was excited. To him, this was like playing a video game on the hardest difficulty mode. He had already accepted the challenge in making her able to have more fun and be more talkative, and nothing she said could make him change his mind.

"Thank you Mikey," Noelle uncertainly voiced, though she appreciated his attempt. "I'll try."

A knock on the door delayed the conversation, prompting both teens to turn towards the sound.

"What's the password?" Mikey hollered with a sly simper, amused by his behavior.

The door pushed open, revealing a grim-looking Donnie. Noelle felt the sinking feeling return to her stomach when she realized that the news couldn't be good.

"Aww, dude, you didn't even try and guess!" The youngest brother pouted, disappointed that the genius brother hadn't even bothered to play along.

Donnie ignored him and closed the door. "Your mom is a science-fiction writer, right?"

Noelle nodded, curious as to what was on his mind. "Yes. She is really well known for her science-fiction series 'Hello Earth', which is about aliens successfully invading Earth while moving about in disguises. They hack into the government's computers to gain information about the human race and what has been gathered about themselves".

"Sweet! She writes about aliens!" Mikey exclaimed, clearly fascinated. "You think she'd like my comic books?"

"I'm not sure. My mom doesn't read comics either."

The lanky turtle appeared concerned. "I think I know why the Kraang took your mom."

"To write a book for them?" Mikey chirped, silencing himself when Donnie glared at him. "What? It would be cool."

"No." He looked back at Noelle with pity in his eyes. "The Kraang are aliens that have been on Earth for a long time, trying to make our world inhabitable for them. They want to remove all humans and over run our planet." He began pacing. "We've fought them before, and although they seem adept at times, they have made significant progress. The trouble is, I can't seem to discern where they are, which means we will have to track them down somehow by luring them out or following a clone back to the hideaway." He paused, as if he was contemplating how to voice the next few words carefully."I have a hunch your mom will be there working for them."

Noelle's eyes widened in shocked horror when she realized what he was saying. "That means-"

"I think you can see the connection now. The Kraang do a lot of research, and probably came across your mom's book, which is a full on instruction booklet for invading. In other words,I think they are planning to forcefully use your mother to take over Earth."


	6. Not Alone

_**Thanks for the reviews and continued support!**_

**Chapter 6:Not Alone  
**

Noelle thought it was impossible for the pain in her heart to increase any more than it already had.

But it did. And she was wrong.

All she could do was stare at Donnie, her mind jumbled together in a wave of chaos and disbelief. She felt like she couldn't breathe, and the fact that she was the central focus of the two turtles she was confined in a room with didn't help in the slightest. Her stomach tumbled around in a spiral of nausea, the all-too familiar feeling of piled stones returning, only now the feeling was far worse.

She felt like she was going to collapse.

The thick knot lodging itself in her throat wasn't helping.

Mikey watched as his friend's face turned sickly pale. Part of him was resentful towards the Kraang because of all the distress they had enforced on her. He usually wasn't a sullen person, but if one of his brothers or a friend was hurting in some way, he couldn't help but get a little protective. He didn't know Noelle that well, but he did understand that what she was currently going through was tearing her apart, and he wanted nothing more than to take her pain away.

He wished he could make her smile or laugh. He tentatively wanted to stand up and give her a hug, but something told him she wasn't used to interacting with people on a daily basis, especially ones she barely knew, so he forced himself to sit, unsure of what he could possibly say.

"Will-will they hurt or kill her?" Noelle finally managed to choke out, her throat feeling like it was going to close up.

Donnie rubbed the back of his neck. "I think that for the time being your mom is safe because they do need her alive to assist them. I've never really seen them physically torture or kill somebody, but they do have a lot of brain washing maneuvers that have turned other humans into mindless creatures that labor for them."

Her eyes widened in panic. The tears were building up, and she couldn't control it anymore.

Sensing her break down, Mikey rose off his bed and hesitantly placed a hand on Noelle's shoulder. "We'll get her back. Everything will be okay."

She wanted to believe him so badly, but the anxiety and fear was overwhelming her. She had to get out now.

"I'm sorry." It was all she could say before she rapidly ambled past Donnie and hurried out of the corridor.

Mikey's lips curled down at her exit before he glimpsed in an almost pleading manner at his older brother. "We can help her, right?"

Donnie sighed. "We will do the best we can. The only difference is that the Kraang were really after April, so they basically showed themselves to us in order to grab her. They not only want Noelle's mom, but Noelle as well, which makes our problem even more complicated. It's definitely possible to track the lair down, but Savannah will probably be much more complex to get to than Kirby."

The freckled terrapin remembered how devastated April was when she lost her dad, and he'd felt a great deal of remorse for her. The difference between her and Noelle though, was that April had actually cried in front of him and his brothers, and even allowed them to hug and comfort her. Noelle was much shyer and seemed to refuse to shed a single tear around anyone. He wondered what had happened to her, and if there was a chance he could help her open up.

"But there's something we can do, right?"

"I'll talk to Leo and Raph and see what they think. Give Noelle some time alone and then we'll figure out where to go from there."

Mikey fell back onto his bed with a groan. "That means I'll be bored again."

Donnie rolled his eyes and started exiting the room. "Go watch more of that mecha anime or read a comic book." He shut the door firmly behind him, as his brother's boredom was the least of his worries.

"But I've already seen and read them all," the orange-masked turtle quietly whined. He wished he could at least comfort Noelle by making her laugh or something.

He just couldn't understand why she wouldn't let anybody get close to her.

**[][][]**

She quickly descended the stairs, allowing the tears to slither down her face as she covered her mouth with both hands. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, both from the salty tears and the humiliation she felt at almost breaking down in front of the two turtles. She tried to navigate through the lair with as much speed as possible before anybody spotted her and forced her to explain herself.

Unfortunately, she just wasn't fast enough.

"What troubles you my child?"

She stiffened and ceased all movement at Splinter's voice, which was full of concern and perception.

However, she didn't want to burden him with her petty tears and problems, so she wiped the wet trails away and took a deep breath to try and rid herself of the tightness in her air passage. "Nothing, sir." Her voice sound weak, shaky and pathetic.

"Please, just call me Splinter or Sensei, whichever you prefer." He stepped closer to the blonde girl, his ears twitching at every unsteady breath she inhaled. "Now, would you mind actually telling me what's wrong?"

He seemed to be very compassionate, but she hesitated all the same. The only person she felt even remotely comfortable bearing her feelings to were her grandma and uncle, and even that happened on only rare occasions. She supposed that since he had so kindly taken her into his home, he deserved at least an answer as to why she was acting so disconcerted.

She took a deep breath to steady her voice. "Donnie discovered that my mom is going to be used by the Kraang to take over the world, and I'm scared that they'll hurt her." More tears gathered in front of her irises. All she wanted to do was just conceal herself away from everybody.

Splinter eventually drew close enough that he could place a three fingered hand on top of her head, causing her to gaze up at him with red-rimmed eyes. He felt saddened that this young woman had been through so much within a day, not to mention whatever had happened to her earlier in life that caused such solitude and dejection. "Please, come with me," was all he said before he backed off and started heading in the opposite direction. Curious and confused as to what he had in mind, Noelle followed him.

He guided her to the dojo, which was now desolate in Leo's absence. She found herself admiring the great tree that stood in the center of the room, growing magnificently beneath a wide ray of sunshine. It was beautifully fascinating, and something she would actually like to paint someday, but she forced herself to break away her stare and focus instead on what Splinter wanted to show her.

They stopped before a high shelf, where he grabbed a picture frame and brought it down. He handed it to Noelle, who painstakingly took the item and studied the image with great detail.

"That's me, my wife Tang-Shen, and our daughter, Miwa." His voice held great remorse, and when Noelle peered into his eyes she saw heartache. "My wife was murdered by an evil man who now calls himself the Shredder. He claimed to love her, yet he killed her in cold blood and stole our daughter away from me, letting me believe that our baby girl had also died."

Noelle studied the family in the picture. "Is your daughter safe?" she reticently inquired, hoping that she wasn't prying too much into his business.

His ears flattened, and for a moment she was worried that she had upset him. "She is," he replied. "However, she is under the Shredder's command. He has brainwashed her into thinking that I am the one who killed her mother, just like he made her believe that he is her real father."

**[Tristan and Isolde: The Queen's Funeral]**

"That's awful!" Noelle gasped. She couldn't even envision how difficult that was for him to face.

He nodded, and held out his hands as she placed the frame back into his palms. "She goes by the name Karai now. Leonardo is trying to convince her that she is fighting for the wrong person, that I am her father. He seems to have developed a strong bond with her, and yet she refuses to see the truth. I cannot blame her though, for it is not an easy thing to be told that the man who raised you is not your real father, but the murderer of your mother. She must have difficulties as well." He arranged the photo back on the shelf and sighed as he trailed his fingers over the image.

"I'm sorry," Noelle apologized, her emerald orbs cast down and bounding with guilt.

Splinter turned around and looked at her with benevolence. "My child, I did not tell you that story so you could pity me. I wanted to let you know that you are not alone, for I understand how you feel. Our circumstances may be different, but we have both dealt with losing the ones we love. Also," he laid a hand on her shoulder, "it is perfectly okay to cry. Don't ever feel like you have to be alone."

His words were enough to break down one of her walls as the tears uncontrollably poured out. "I've just-I've always cried alone. My parents never paid attention to me and after the divorce I stopped talking to people and allowed myself to escape through art. I don't really know how to act in front of people now. Mikey said earlier that we were friends, and that meant so much to me, but I don't know if I deserve it when I've pushed myself so far away from everybody. Now my mom is gone and I just want to find her and talk to her because I miss her and I'm scared!" She sobbed hysterically and covered her face with her hands.

Splinter reached forward and pulled her face into his stomach, his arms wrapped securely around her as she wept and allowed herself to be vulnerable for the first time in years. He lowered his head and held her in a fatherly embrace, his heart breaking for the poor child who had been through so much.

"I'm sorry." Her words came out muffled as her shoulders shook, humiliated that she had let herself lose control of her emotions in front of him, especially when she now knew that he had his own problems to work through.

"Never apologize. You are among friends here, and we will all help you."

"But your family-"

"Is here. I have four wonderful sons, and slowly but surely I believe Miwa is starting to open her heart to the possibility of me being her father. Life can be challenging at times, but things will always get better."

She peered at him with watery eyes, her cheeks crimson and wet. "You really think so?"

"I do," he confirmed with a smile. "Worrying will solve nothing. We will find your mother, but we need to be careful and come up with a plan first."

Noelle rubbed her tears away, the stress and anxiety dissipating at how confident his words were. She was still upset, but being consoled by another had mentally eased her enough that she made a mental promise to herself to get back on her feet and do whatever she could to assist in rescuing her mom.

"Yes, Sensei."

**[+]**

**[][][]**

After her discussion with Splinter, they agreed that her first action should be checking in on her grandma, followed by alerting her dad of the current situation. She'd been escorted back to her room by the kind rat, who promised to have a discussion with her and his sons later on after family matters had been sorted out. The only person she'd seen on the way back to her alcove was Leo, but he'd seemed completely engrossed by some space show on the TV. Of that she was rather grateful, as she still felt rather embarrassed about her little breakdown.

Noelle lay back on her bed with all the lights on and her head supported by two pillows. She dialed Uncle Nick's number since Sandra didn't have a cell phone. After only two rings she heard a click.

"Hello?"

She smiled, relieved to hear her grandma's voice. "Hi grandma. It's Noelle."

"Oh hunny, I'm so glad you're okay! Are your new friends treating you well enough?"

"Yes. They've all been so kind to me, and I met their father too. I think you would really like him. "

"I'm sure I would. How are you feeling?"

Noelle paused, wondering how she should answer that question. She really was feeling better, but she was also still rather troubled over everything that had happened. Sandra was a very understanding person who knew Noelle's personality and thoughts better than anybody else. If Noelle lied to her, then Sandra would know.

"Things are hard right now, but my friends have been so supportive to me and are coming up with a plan to get Mom back."

This time it was her grandma who seemed hesitant. "I'm glad, but how? Do you know where she is?"

"We don't exactly know where she is, but we do know who has her."

"Sweetheart, I'm worried. Are you sure you don't want to call the police? This is serious."

Noelle bit her lip. "I'm sure grandma. Please trust me. The guys who kidnapped Mom aren't normal, and the police can't handle them. The people I'm with know a lot about these individuals."

Sandra sighed. "This whole thing still makes me nervous, but I know you're a bright girl. Just be safe and call me when you can, okay?"

"I will Grandma. Love you."

"Love you too sweetie."

And with that the conversation was over. She felt terrible that she couldn't really reveal to her grandma just how dire the situation was, but how was she supposed to explain that a group of aliens wanted to use her mom to take over the Earth and the only chance she had at saving her was by trusting in four turtles and their rat father?

She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the next phone call she had to make. She wasn't sure if her dad would answer, much less where he was. Sometimes he'd be on the other side of the world or on a plane, and on the rare occasion that he was home he was so involved in his work that he didn't hear the phone at all.

He had to answer this time though, or else she didn't know what she would do.

She pressed his name and tried to be patient as the phone rang. After four rings, she heard the sound of the phone being picked up.

"Noelle?'

Thank goodness for caller id. "Hi dad. Is now a bad time? I have something really important to talk to you about."

"Oh, uh, I guess not. Sure. What's up?"

She knew he was probably in the middle of working on something, but he had to know what was going on. "Dad, mom's been kidnapped."

The line went silent. "What do you mean?"

"When I was walking home last night a group of men tried to grab me but were stopped by some of my friends. They took me home and when we arrived the whole place was a mess with the clear signs of a struggle."

She heard a sharp inhale. "Do you know why or who these people are? Are you okay?"

"I know who they are but not entirely why." Once again, Noelle felt guilty for having to lie. "I'm really upset but I'm doing the best I can."

"Well that's good then."

She sighed, as things were really not alright and she'd hoped he would have offered to help her. If he wasn't going to make the suggestion, then she would. "Dad, can I stay with you for a while?"

"Well, I guess so. I'll be out of town tomorrow night for a big project I'm working on, and I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I'll be home tonight. When were you planning to come over?"

She contemplated over when she should arrive. She had to go home and grab a couple more things before heading to his place, but she wasn't sure on the best method to getting there. She didn't want to walk by herself with so much stuff on her, especially after the experience from the previous evening, but maybe she could take a cab and just use the money she'd been saving up for new art supplies. "How about between six and seven? Would that be okay?"

"Sure. I'll order some take out for us okay?"

She smiled, excited that her and her dad would have the chance to finally enjoy a meal together after so long. "Sounds good. Thank you dad."

"No problem kiddo. I'll see you later. "

"Bye dad."

Well, that certainly went better then she expected. Even though Felix was her father, she still didn't know how to talk to him half the time. He wasn't a big talker, and he had made it fairly obvious that his work meant a great deal more to him than going out and socializing with people. He'd never gone to her school conferences or taken her out to a museum. She wondered if he even knew that she was into art and practiced it on a daily basis. She didn't have high hopes that meaningful conversations would take place, especially since he would be off traveling again, but the idea of her being able to see him for more than just the two days of every other month she was accustomed propelled a minuscule wave of excitement through her veins.

She peeked at her cell's clock and read that the time was only a little after one. Since she had a few hours left before going home, she decided to find both Donnie and Mikey so she could apologize for her earlier behavior. She hadn't meant to just walk out on them, but when it came to situations like that she wasn't sure what else to do. Thanks to Splinter she had been able to calm down enough to where she could phone both of her family members and keep her composure.

There was a sudden knocking sound on the other side of her door. She set her phone down, curious as to who was outside her room. "You can come in," she invited in a soft voice.

The door swung open and Mikey entered with his hands behind his back and a suspicious smile on his face. Noelle inquisitively watched him as he sauntered over to her bed and stood in front of her.

"Hey, so I was wondering if maybe you could draw something really cool for me."

She tilted her head to the side in curiosity. "Oh, of course. It's the least I can do after you helped me out. What would you like me to draw?"

His grin widened in excitement as he pulled out a magazine from behind his back and held it out to her so that the cover was directly in front of her face. An enormous creature that appeared to be a combination of a buffalo and baboon towered threateningly over a crowd of terrified people while one man was in the process of leaping upward to deliver a kick to its uniquely designed face.

"Can you make it so I'm the one about to kick his butt? It would be so cool! I'll even do some posing stuff for you if you want!" To demonstrate, he struck multiple fighting positions, each one barely two seconds long as he transitioned to the next one in an outbreak of thrilled eagerness. He seemed to be enjoying himself so much that Noelle just didn't have the heart to tell him to stop. She merely watched him, entertained by his erratic movements and jovial expression.

He finally slowed down and stared at her with pleading eyes. "So can you do it?"

She finally smiled, delighted at the idea of being able to try something new. "I will."

"Yes! Sweet!" He pumped a fist into the air and began humming an unfamiliar catchy sound that she knew would end up stuck in her head at some point.

Her smile faded as thoughts from that morning entered her mind. She didn't want to lessen his mood, but she felt she should say something before she even thought about proceeding through the day like nothing had happened. "Hey, Mikey-"

"Hey Noelle!" The energetic turtle bounced onto the bed next to her, beaming like he'd just won a lifetime of pizza. "What's up?"

The blonde teen diffidently played with her ponytail, trying to think of the best way she could apologize. She was freezing up again, allowing her timid nature to get the best of her. She calmed her nerves with a deep breath and faced him. She had no reason to fear talking to him.

"I'm really sorry."

He looked confused. "For what? I'm not worried about you messing up the picture or anything. You've got mad skills!"

She was flattered, but that just added to the guilt. "No, I rudely left you and Donnie earlier. I'm sorry, I just-"

"Needed to get away?" he finished with an understanding smile, not appearing the slightest bit angry.

She intertwined her fingers and bashfully regarded him with regretful verdant orbs. "I didn't mean to."

Mikey shook his head. "Nah, don't worry. I totally get it. I mean, even I need to get out sometimes."

This shocked her. "You do?"

"Well sure! You try being in here with an angry mutant buffalo like Raph all day!" He grinned when she laughed into her hand. "Anyways, just know that you're not alone. I mean, me and my bros really are here for ya. Our friend April had her dad kidnapped twice and we helped her out. Actually, I think she's coming over later if you wanna talk to her about it."

So somebody else had experienced the same thing as her? Noelle's face brightened as she nodded. "Thank you. Maybe I will."

"Thata' girl! So, whatcha wanna do? I'm bored outta my mind, yo!"

"Well..." she thought about it for a second before she realized that maybe Mikey could help her out. She hated to asked him for even more assistance, but it would definitely make things easier. "...would you mind showing me back to my apartment? I'm going to stay at my dad's and I need to pack."

The freckled teen looked absolutely elated. "Sweet! More exploring of your place huh? I'll help carry some of your stuff and then we can come back. April will probably be here when we return. "

"Oh no, you don't have to help. I'm okay."

"But I'm so bored!" he complained again. "Seriously! I just wanna get outta here and find something to do. Besides, things will move faster with two people, right?"

She considered the idea. "I suppose so. Are you sure?"

"Well, yeah! Let's go, girl!"

Noelle couldn't help giggling over his cheerfully animated behavior. She wished that she could be as lively as him, but she supposed that that was what made Mikey, well, Mikey. "Okay, thank you. I'm ready."

**[][][]**

After gaining Splinter's approval to venture to the surface, they trekked through the tunnels. Since Noelle didn't have a clue on how to navigate the city from below ground, she allowed her reptilian friend to guide her through the sewer system. He was pumped to be able to get out of the lair, and not have to deal with his brothers' boring attitudes. He understood that they all had their own thing going on, but there were only so many times he could watch an episode of his favorite TV show or reread a comic before he grew disinterested in everything.

"I mean, it's like they hate hanging out with me or something, which is weird because I'm the one who likes to have fun, ya know?" He flung his hands up. "I don't get it! Why are they so boring?"

"I don't think they're boring, and I like hanging out with you." Noelle wasn't used to having somebody vent to her,and while he was just confused and not angry, she was still fearful that she might say the wrong thing. Instead, she decided to appease to both sides, as she didn't want to badmouth the other terrapins when she really liked all of them.

"And that's why we're buddies!" Mikey exclaimed with a pleased grin while he looked up to see what numbered tunnel they were at. "Oh, I think we're almost there! Let's go up this way." He bounded over to a ladder and proceeded to climb it, while Noelle followed closely behind. He paused at the top and scantily lifted the manhole cover up to make sure the coast was clear. When he didn't notice anybody nearby, he fully pushed the cover off and shifted himself onto the ground, waiting for Noelle to follow him.

When she was also out of the sewers, he placed the cover back over the gap and hunched down like he had the previous day. "All aboard the Mikey express!"

She stifled a giggle and climbed on, her arms securing themselves around his upper plastron just as he vaulted them up and onto a nearby fire escape. She focused on the ground decreasing in size and the obliviousness of pedestrians as they carried on with their day. The duo dangled off the side while he used his upper body strength to carry them to the top of the building. When they reached the apex of the structure, he took off running so he could gain enough speed to cross over building gaps.

"How are you able to jump so easily, especially when somebody is on your back?" she inquired, curiosity getting the better of her.

"Years of training, sista! Master Splinter is da bomb!" He was talking and jumping around like he was only taking a brisk stroll. "You know though, maybe Sense can train you too. I mean, he's already training April so I don't see why he can't teach you."

Up until that point, Noelle hadn't even considered the possibility of her learning the art of Ninjitsu. It wasn't a bad idea though, and one she would seriously have to think about. She hated that she couldn't even defend herself last night, so maybe her gaining knowledge on the tactics of self defense would prove to be useful in case the Kraang creatures decided to go after her again.

"Well, I suppose so. I don't want to be any trouble though."

"Dude, you're no trouble at all! I mean, Sensei already likes you because of the art stuff, so I'm sure it'll be no biggy if he teaches you." He vaulted across another gap before he slowed down to a halt. "Woot! We're here. Thanks for riding the Mikey express." He cheerfully crouched down so she could easily climb off.

**[Inside Out: Tears of Joy]**

After she thanked him, they descended down some stairs until they reached her kitchen entrance. Her heart pounded as she pulled the door open and entered the disheveled space, trying not to imagine the struggle that occurred while her eyes traveled over the broken dishware and turned over chairs. She constrained herself to proceed past the mess and focus on packing so she could get away from what remained of a dismal memory, unaware of Mikey closely watching her in case she became upset.

His lively attitude returned when they reached her room, as he now had a better chance to examine everything. "Okay, so show me some stuff you've done!"

Amused and humbled by his desire to understand her art, she decided to put off packing for a second and appease to his inquisitive nature. "Alright, I do have some sketchbooks you can look at if you want." She reached into her desk and pulled out three broad books, two of which were blue and the other ebony. He greedily grabbed the chunks of cramped paper and plopped down onto her desk chair, hastily flipping the first one open and already looking impressed.

"Woah! You're like the next Shakespeare!"

This time she did giggle as she rummaged through her closet and began pulling out a week's worth of clothes. "Shakespeare wasn't an artist, he was a writer."

"Writing is considered an art form though, right?"

She dropped some clothes onto her bed and paused in thought. "You know, you're actually right. I should've realized that."

"See, people say I'm dumb but I'm really a genius." He tapped a finger against the side of his side, simpering and looking rather pleased with himself.

At that moment, Noelle came to a surprising conclusion. Mikey was more outgoing than she was, and even though he lived with three other brothers, he seemed almost as lonely as her. He always had a smile on his face, but that didn't mean that people insulting his intelligence or calling him annoying didn't hurt his feelings. She understood that when it came to thinking, it wasn't in the same logical way as most other people, but there wasn't anything wrong with that. To her, he was interesting because he had an open mind and saw the world differently, almost like her.

Her timid demeanor faltered. "You know what I think?"

"What?" He continued focusing on the pages, gaping in awe at all the images.

"I don't think you're dumb at all."

Mikey tore his eyes away from the book, staring at her in surprise. "Woah, seriously? I mean, Master Splinter has told me that I'm actually pretty smart, but I don't know if he means it."

"You're not dumb." She made sure that she looked very serious, because she was. He didn't seem to hear that enough, and it saddened her that somebody so kind was constantly being put down. "I think you have a beautiful mind." Her cheeks heated as the bashfulness settled in. She hoped she didn't sound silly to him.

He blinked in disbelief before his mouth stretched into a wide grin. "You're pretty rad, Noelle. Thanks." He walked over to her and pointed to one of the picture's she sketched within the book, which was of a human girl and boy sitting on a park bunch with a kitty. "Look, it's us with Ice Cream Kitty if we weren't mutated, not that you are or anything, but if you were this would totally be us in human form!"

Noelle stared at the picture before she burst into laughter. It was the most genuine laugh she'd had in years, and it was one of the best sounds Mikey had ever heard. It was the sound of a sad girl who he'd made happy, if but for a moment, so he decided to make the occasion last as long as possible by joining in with her.

He hoped he got to hear such a joyful sound from her more often.

**[+]**


	7. Familiar Faces

**Renet is adorable! I hope we get to see her again soon! Thanks for the reviews. It means a lot! **

**Chapter 7: Familiar Faces**

Thanks to Mikey's assistance, packing had gone by much more swiftly than Noelle anticipated. Her intended objection was to not compress too much into her traveling bags, as she didn't want to weigh herself down, but there were just so many art supplies she couldn't bare to be separated from for an extended period of time. She was grateful to herself for already having her materials assorted into bins to avoid mixing up colors, which was a big help when it came to having to dispose everything into one rucksack.

"Why are there so many black chalks in here?" the freckled terrapin inquired from his kneeling position on the floor as he quizzically peered into her charcoal kit. He noticed that some of the ebony pieces were thick or thin, and others were either square or looked like short sticks, but he couldn't understand why she needed so many different ones when they all produced the same shade.

Noelle finished folding her last piece of clothing and zipped it into her luggage before she knelt down so she was on his level. "I try to keep them organized based on hardness, and whether they are vine, willow, or compressed charcoal. " She proceeded to point at different fragments. "The thinner ones provided skinnier, sharper lines, while the thick ones cover more of an area, but the lines aren't as precise. Also, the higher the hardness of the tool, the darker the shade."

Realization dawned in Mikey's baby blue eyes. "Oh! I totally got it now! So, if I wanted to draw me with a black mask on, I would have to use this one, right?" He triumphantly gestured towards a square piece.

She gently smiled. "That is the ideal one to use if you want it to be thick right away, although you could use one of the corners to create thinner lines, but this one actually doesn't have a high hardness, so you'd want to use this one." She hovered a finger over one that looked identical.

He analyzed the fragment in confusion. "Why? They look exactly the same."

"They do, but there is a difference, and you can usually tell by the letter and number on the side. See how this one says B6, but the one you picked is an HB? The lighter shades are in the H range, and the darker ones are in the B area. You could just layer on a shade of H until you reach the desired darkness, but it's much simpler to use one of the pieces with a B on it."

"Ugh! Art is so confusing!" Mikey clutched the sides of his head like his brain was detonating. "Man, I'm just gonna stick with crayons."

Noelle giggled, provoking the reptile to eye her in excitement as he bounced to his feet. Aware of his prompt observation, she ceased her laughter and allowed her timid nature to envelop her as she shyly stared down at the floor. "I'm sorry."

"What? Dude, I don't think I've ever heard you talk or laugh so much. It's awesome! You've gotta do it more often, ya know what I'm sayin'? I mean, life would just get boring and that would be lame." He genuinely appeared elated that she had started to establish a more cheerful demeanor, regardless of how minimal somebody might regard the progress to be. At least she was actually holding a conversation with him now that didn't involve her frowning or looking like she was going to cry at any second.

She rose up with him and bashfully loaded the materials into her artist bag, insecure about how to respond. Noelle had a lot of respect for Mikey, and appreciated his jubilant attitude and optimism towards her, but at the same time it made her even more self-aware of how different her personality was from his.

He was optimistic, jovial, silly, and curious.

She was shy, dismal, hardly smiled, and isolated.

She peeked over her shoulder and noted how he grinned like a teacher proud of his student. He was a talking turtle who knew karate, lived in a sewer, and was close friends with a cat made of ice cream. It was fascinating how in so many ways their looks and appearances were different, but when she saw him and his family she didn't really view them as animals. They acted like people, and she hoped that maybe someday she would be able to get to learn even more about them. The family had been strangers yesterday, and now they had opened a door to so many possibilities for her. Even though it would be difficult, she mentally promised herself that she would attempt to hold more conversations, and permit herself to be happy. She understood that it wouldn't be so easy, but maybe if she opened up a little more each day and permitted her new friends into her life, then perhaps her life could take a turn for the better.

She had pleaded with the stars only two nights ago to not let her be alone, so what if the Turtles were the answer? They had been kind to her, and she and Mikey had hit things off rather quickly. She didn't want to live a solitary life anymore, and that meant she needed to adjust her outlook on life.

For the first time in years, Noelle pushed her timid attitude aside and obliged the corners of her lips to turn up. "You're right."

"You know it!"

**[][][]**

They had ascended up to the roof of her complex, trudging up the stairs with the luggage locked securely within their grasps. When they reached the top, Noelle tied both bags around her back, which made her very nervous because she knew it was just even more weight for Mikey to carry. She was about to suggest that they could leave one bag behind and she'd just return for it later, but fortunately Raphael was waiting for them at the top, his bulky arms crossed over his scarred plastron.

"'Sup bro!" Mikey jauntily greeted with freckled dimples, surprised and pleased to see his bigger brother.

"Just here to help," Raph grunted. He raised a brow when he noticed the two bags, eying the bigger of the two. "You definitely pack more clothes than April."

"Actually, those are my art supplies," Noelle meekly informed him. "I didn't mean to grab so much-"

"She was actually going to leave some stuff behind, but I said 'Nah girl!Let's go!'" the younger turtle interrupted, leaving the blonde in a surprised silence. " I mean, we've totally got this! Pssht! This is lighter than the junk Donnie makes us carry, know what I'm saying?" Mikey leaned forward and winked at his older brother, who merely rolled his eyes.

"I apologize for being so selfish," Noelle regretfully expressed with guilt. "I use my supplies on a daily basis, and I was rather torn on what to grab. Mikey was kind enough to suggest that he would carry my art bag for me, and all I needed to do was fit as much as I could in it. I would be more than happy to come back later in a cab and pick up the luggage myself."

"Nah, don't worry about it." Raph grabbed the bulging pack and and slipped his arms through the loops so he was wearing the duffel like a backpack. "You can just wear the other one the same way while Mikey carries you. It'll be about the same amount of weight."

Noelle mimicked the red-masked turtle's movements and proceeded to climb on Mikey's back. "I'm sorry this is heavy."

"Hey, I gotcha, because I'm_ awesome_!" The lime-green terrapin sung out the last word as he cantered and escalated over the alleyways. "Booyakasha!"

"Idiot," Raph mumbled, his jade eyes twinkling as he pursued his youngest brother.

**[][][]**

As the trio trekked down the dim tunnels, Noelle used this opportunity to try and memorize their surroundings in case she visited the turtles on her own. She noted the numbers painted on the walls and how many turns they needed to take before finally reaching the lair. Mikey rambled on about a comic he'd been reading to Raph, who didn't seem remotely interested but listened anyways. The blonde could tell that although the moody reptile tended to always seem grumpy or annoyed, he cared a great deal about his little brother. Noelle had always wanted a sibling to care of or play with, so she was rather envious of the four brothers, but it made her smile to see how much they clearly cared about each other.

At last the lair's light arose out of the darkness, brimming with the sound of television and chatter. Mikey, Raph and Noelle casually proceeded through the turnstiles and joined the others in the living room area. Leo and Donnie were conversing with two other people, and when the strangers turned around Noelle shared the exact same reaction as the pair of familiar humans in front of her.

"Noelle?!"

"No way!"

"April and Casey?"

"Oh, do you guys go to the same school?" Leo asked, just as surprised by the coincidence as everybody else.

"Yeah, Red and I just met her yesterday. 'Sup Noelle? I didn't know you knew these weirdos."

Raph playfully nudged Casey in the side with a snort. "Like you're one to talk, Jones."

"Actually, we came across her last night," Donnie explained before his voice turned sympathetic. "She can really relate to you, April."

The yellow-clad teen's freckled face fell as she realized what the tall terrapin was implying. "Oh, did the Kraang take one of your parents, too?"

"My mom," Noelle morosely answered. "They also wanted me for some reason."

April lowered her brows in confusion. "Wow, that's interesting. They kidnapped my dad to get to me, but if they want both you and your mom then I can't even imagine what their plan is."

The blonde rubbed her arm uncomfortably. She was still working on her ability to talk with people, and while she had already vastly improved, she still felt odd about discussing things that made her uneasy or upset. "My mom is a really well-known science-fiction writer. Her most popular series called _"Hello Earth"_ is about aliens taking over, and we think they want to use her ideas to rule our planet."

"No way! I love that series!" April excitedly exclaimed. "So your mom is _the_ Savannah Jackson?" She calmed down when she remember their current dilemma. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm glad you're supportive of her work." Noelle replied with a bashful smile, and the other teen girl mirrored it back.

"Ah, I see you have returned." Splinter descended down the stairs, each step producing a tapping sound as his staff made contact. "Were you able to acquire what you needed?"

The blonde bobbed her head. "Yes Sensei."

"Good. Are you residing with your father for the time being?"

"Yes. I talked to him earlier and he said I could stay as long as I needed to. However, he won't be home most of the time because of his job."

"Then you should be safe as long as the Kraang don't find you. It would be wise to keep an eye on you though. How will you get to school?"

The artistic teen bit her lower lip as she pondered over methods of transportation. School was farther from her dad's place than her mom's apartment, so if she walked she'd need to leave extra early. She hadn't been given a bus pass due to the modest distance from from home, and riding a taxi everyday would be expensive.

"Casey and I can walk with her, Sensei," the red head suggested. "She can take the subway and we can meet her when she gets off. It'll be safer with us in a small group, right?"

"Are you sure?" Noelle hesitantly asked. "Won't that be out of your way?"

"Nah, Red and I got this," Casey chimed in. "Besides the station isn't too far from the school, right? We'll be good. I'd much rather walk with you than Irma any day."

"Casey!" April admonished with an eye roll. "Seriously, she isn't that bad."

"Yeah right. If I want to be lectured about pointless science crap I'd go to Donnie."

"Hey!"

"Sensei, why don't we train her to fight?" Mikey elatedly interrupted. "It would be super rad because then she could come out on missions with us!"

Everybody stared at the fatherly rat. The humane rodent twitched his ears and stroked his beard as he contemplated over his youngest son's idea.

"Noelle."

The blonde stepped forward, nonchalantly meeting his eye as she wondered what he would say to her. "Yes?"

"My son has just proposed that we train you in the ways of Ninjutsu. Do you have any objections?"

She was honestly a bit apprehensive about the whole fighting thing. She'd never been one for violence, but she also understood that this was necessary. Her friends wouldn't always be around to protect her, so she needed to step up a little more and figure out how to defend herself in case somebody went after her again. Noelle straightened her posture, hoping that she appeared at least a little more confident when answering him. "No, Sensei."

The rat's eyes seemed to gleam as both of his hands wrapped onto the top of his walking staff. "Are you sure? This will be hard work. There will be days when you are sore and exhausted, but you will have to keep going if you wish to grow stronger."

Her heart pounded as seriously considered her decision. She wasn't sure what his training entailed, but it most definitely wouldn't be easy. On top of that, the others would be watching her while she probably made a fool of herself in front of them. She couldn't remain scared forever though. Her fear wouldn't bring her mom back. "I can do it, Sensei. I need to."

His auburn eyes gazed at her with approval. "Then it would be my honor to take you on as a student."

"That's what I'm talkin' about!" Mikey exclaimed as he held up his hand, his baby blue orbs shining at her expectantly. The corners of Noelle's mouth curved up as she chastely slapped her palm against his, grateful that he had suggested the idea. She knew that the work would be difficult and strenuous, but she had a feeling it would all be worth it in the end.

"Sweet! I'm glad there will be another girl in the group," April enthusiastically beamed, pleased that she finally had a female companion she could talk to about her time in the sewers. It was nice having Casey around to discuss things with at school, but it would be a lot easier to be open with a feminine friend. She didn't know Noelle very well, but she seemed like a decent girl with a respectable head on her shoulders, and that was good enough for the red head.

Raph, Leo and Donnie looked at their new training partner with approval, appreciating the fact that she was putting forth an effort. They didn't object to helping her out, but it would make things a lot easier if she could fight back when they were unable to keep an eye out for her.

Casey lifted his head defiantly. "Casey Jones can take care of himself! You guys stick with your Ninja stuff, and I'll do things my own way. I don't need a master."

Splinter advanced over to the gloating hockey player and leaned over his staff, compelling the toothless vigilante to freeze up in fear. "I am sorry. What were you saying just now?"

"N-nothing sir."

"I thought as much." When the rat turned away he smirked, enjoying how he was able to shut up the bragging teen. "Noelle, we will begin your lessons after school tomorrow. I suggest bringing a change of clothing."

Remembering how the brothers responded to their father, Noelle briskly bowed her head. "Hai Sensei."

"Very good. Now, let us know when you plan to depart. My sons will escort you home."

"Yes, Sensei." She nodded in acknowledgement and observed Splinter leaving the room before she felt a pair of human hands on her. She swiveled her head to see April smiling.

"So are you staying in my old room?"

Noelle couldn't really understand why the redhead looked so delighted. "I believe so."

"Cool. Wanna go chill in there for a moment? It might be nice to talk to someone."

The blonde was confused once more until she remembered how Mikey had claimed that her and the yellow-adorned teen would probably get along really well, and she was beginning to understand why. April had also had a parent taken from her, which already made the two girls very similar. Besides, perhaps talking about it might help relieve some tension off both of them.

"Sure," she finally answered as her jade eyes traveled over to Mikey, who looked very pleased with the mini bonding session he was witnessing. She gratefully smiled at him and allowed her female companion to pull her away from the group.

Once the girls had left, Raph groaned and lumbered over to the pinball machine. "That's just great. I can't wait until they start giving each other makeovers. Maybe they'll even paint their nails and talk about boys."

"Maybe April will talk about me!" Casey and Donnie hopefully exclaimed in unison before leering at each other. "You wish!" they shouted before trudging off, leaving Leo alone with Mikey. The youngest turtle blinked and smiled at his oldest brother.

"You think they'll give me a makeover?"

Leo just stared at the freckled terrapin, who cheerfully stared back.

"No."

**[][][]**

"Wow, it's been almost almost a month since I've been in here," April mused as she peered around her bedroom. "Do you like it?"

Noelle ceased packing her overnight bag and glimpsed at her freckled friend so she didn't appear rude. "I do. It's very homey."

The redhead casually plopped onto the bed and leaned back on her arms. "Most people would find it strange, but I honestly liked living here. The guys are great, Splinter stepped in as a father figure, and I rarely experienced a dull moment. There was just always something going on."

Noelle zipped her bag up before she took a seat on the bed with her fellow classmate. "How long did you stay?"

"A few months," April responded. "Even though I enjoyed my time here, life still wasn't easy. I missed my father everyday. I did stay with my aunt while dad was gone, but the guys suggested I hide underground for a while until the coast was clear." She frowned. "I hated the idea. I wouldn't be able to go to school or hang out with Irma. My normal life just suddenly had to not exist for a while, and I wasn't okay with that." She sighed. "We did eventually get my dad back, and I was able to go home, but then my dad was mutated when the guys tried to stop a Kraang ship from flying around. Mutagen canisters fell everywhere, and unfortunately my dad was one of the people who was affected."

"I'm so sorry. That sounds awful."

"It's hard, but I have to believe that Donnie will find a cure to reverse the mutagen. Things will turn out alright. We'll do everything we can to help you."

The blonde was rather taken back by how kind her new friend was being. It was amazing how only yesterday she was completely alone, but now she had six new friends who completely understood her and were patient with her timid behavior. She provided a sincere smile. "Thank you."

After about a half hour of discussing classes, art, and memories with the turtles, Leo knocked and announced that dinner was ready. April opened the door and teasingly smirked. "Let me guess: pizza?"

The blue-masked terrapin rolled his cerulean orbs. "Well, you know how insistent can be about his favorite food."

"Last time I checked, you all loved it," the red head playfully jabbed as her and the blonde trailed after the turtle. Noelle couldn't help the smile growing on her face as they neared the emphatic den, basking in the lively atmosphere that was so different from the one she was used to at home.

"You're going down Raph!"

"You wish Jones!"

"I face the winning meat head."

"SHUTUP DONNIE!"

" 'Sup guys!" Mikey waved from his spot on the floor. In front of him was an open pizza box with half the food already devoured. "We've got more if ya wanna eat!" He reflexively moved the box out of the way as Casey and Raph propped their elbows against each other and jutted their legs out, thumbs furiously pressing buttons on their controllers. Donnie straightened himself up on the edge adjacent to Mikey, setting the half-eaten pizza slice back down as soon as he saw April, a blush staining his cheeks.

"Would you like a slice?" the Kunoich asked the blonde as she retrieved a piece for herself.

"No thank you. My dad and I are going to be eating soon. I appreciate the offer though." She sat next to Mikey, observing with amusement as he shoved the whole slice into his mouth and contently chomped away. "So how do you get pizza?" she asked, hoping to not sound too rude.

The young reptile grinned. "Ok, so check this out: we use a phone or go online, and-"

"I think she means how we are able to get it without going above ground, and also how we manage to pay for it," Leo interrupted before he took a bite of his food.

"I apologize for asking."

"Don't worry about it," Donnie assured her. "I'm actually the one who earns the money. I tend to salvage a lot of useful items for one of the nearby junkyards, and then make a profit by selling it online. April or Casey sometimes bring us pizza, but when they aren't around one of us will disguise ourselves to pick it up, or we'll instruct the deliverer to drop it off at a certain spot and retrieve it once he goes away."

Mikey thrust a finger up and composed his face into a serious expression. "Wise men say forgiveness is divine, but never pay full price for late pizza."

Everybody gaped at him, and even Raph and Casey paused their game to questioningly stare.

Noelle owlishly blinked at the unfamiliar saying. "Do people truly say that?"

He shrugged and picked up another slice. "I dunno. I just heard it in a movie once."

"I totally know what movie you're talking about!" Casey exclaimed. " The lead female is a total babe, and the guy she ends up with is super awesome!"

Leo cleared his throat. "Anyways, you need to head back soon, right Noelle? Mikey and I can escort you."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a bother."

He waved off her concern. "Nah, it's fine. Go ahead and get ready. We'll wait for you."

She bobbed her head in appreciation before returning to her room to grab her belongings. As she stood examining the room, a feeling of morose swept into her. Of course, Noelle had only stayed the one night, but she couldn't help the feeling of attachment she'd grown for the lair and its occupants. She reminded herself that she would be returning within the next couple days, and proceeded to leave her room, only to run into Mikey.

"Hey, figured you'd need help with your _lugg-age._" He pronounced the last word like a french gentleman, prompting Noelle to giggle as she accepted his help.

"Thank you sir," she replied with a British accent, handing him over the heaviest bag. He seemed pleased at her willing to play along.

"Right this way, madame."

"You're too kind, good sir."

They arrived back at the den chuckling. A few brows were raised at Noelle's sudden cheerful behavior, but not a single complaint. Shoulders sagged in relief that she wasn't crying or depressed, and April and Casey exchanged smug looks, as the redhead had been the one to suggest that Mikey assist the blonde. She knew if anybody could cheer the timid girl up, then it would be him.

Leo took another bag from Noelle and secured it around his shell. "Ready to go?"

"Noelle, we will see you tomorrow, correct?" Splinter had exited the dojo and held a cup of tea while leaning on his walking stick. He wasn't demanding her to return so quickly, but was curious as to when she actually would stop by to initiate her training. Noelle nodded and respectfully bowed her head to him.

"Yes sir. Thank you so much for everything."When she lifted her eyes to meet his, she noticed a little twinkle in his auburn orbs. He wouldn't say a word to anybody about her earlier breakdown, and that meant a lot to her.

"Excellent. Until then. be safe my child."

Honestly, she wanted to hug the fatherly rat for all the kindness he had shown her, but she remained in her position until he turned away. She wasn't one to initiate physical contact, and she didn't want to appear too forward.

Donnie moved from his spot until he was in front of her, his arm extended towards her as he offered what appeared to be some shell-shaped device with a screen. "This is the T-Phone," he explained upon noticing her puzzled expression. He casually nudged the item outward so she would take it, which she did. "It's basically a cellphone, but there is also a tracking device involved. I already programmed all of our numbers in there, so call if you need anything."

Noelle scrutinized the phone for a second before she held it against her chest, the anxiety she'd felt since yesterday lightening up. "Thank you. I promise." She slid the phone into one of her bags before she bid her new friends a goodnight and followed the two brothers into the rancid tunnels.

**[][][]**

Just like before, the turtles nimbly vaulted across the rooftops, following her instructions as she navigated them from her seat on Mikey's shell. Noelle had eventually grown used to the spot, and even started to look forward to it, as it allowed her to relax while enjoying the view. The sun was just beginning to set, providing the city with a heavenly golden glow that encompassed the edges of tall buildings.

The reptiles were able to transport her to her father's place safely, delivering her and her luggage on the side of the house. She tilted her head up to double check that her dad was actually home, and was relieved to see a few windows lit up. She turned to the ninjas and gratefully smiled.

"I don't know how to thank you for your kindness. Just know that I really won't tell anybody about your secret. I promise." She stared into Leo's eyes so he would understand the sincerity of her words.

He nodded. "I know. Stay safe. We'll see you tomorrow." The oldest turtle viewed his younger brother. "You coming?"

"In a minute. I wanna say goodbye first."

Leo knew his brother had already developed a friendship with this girl, and he couldn't help feeling happy for him. He didn't mean to be so cross with his baby brother all the time, but he didn't have the patience when it came to dealing with childish behavior, especially during a mission. As leader, he knew it was his duty to protect his family, so the blue-masked terrapin hummed in understanding and escalated up to the roof to wait.

**[Forrest Gump- Jenny's Grave]**

The two teens stood in silence, with Mikey contently observing while she timidly gripped her bag. The situation had suddenly turned awkward, due to the fact that she wasn't sure how to say goodbye. She bit her lower lip and glanced at his face before looking away, her thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand. "Th-thank you for all you've done," Noelle stammered, her cheeks heated from the nerve-wrecking atmosphere. She was ashamed that she had once again clammed up, as she'd believed she had possibly gotten past that phase. "You're a good, uh...you're a good friend." Her eyes shifted nervously to the side as she began taking a step backward. "Goodbye?"

The freckled ninja didn't want to scare her off, but he needed to give her confidence, so he stepped forward and expeditiously enveloped her in a tight hug before he pulled away. She gaped at him in disbelief as he patted her shoulder like she was a little kid. "See ya!" he grinned before he took off after his older brother.

She stood stunned and alone, watching as he reached the rooftop and waved at her before vanishing. Her eyes lit up, and she shyly returned the gesture before he disappeared. It was the best feeling to finally find friendship, and although she lectured herself for not returning his embrace in time she had a feeling that he knew it made her happy. She beamed up to where he had stood only a moment ago before she turned towards her dad's door.

She took a deep breath, ascended up the steps,and knocked.

**[+]**


	8. A Bright Light in Darkness

**I really appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and follows. You are all so awesome.**

**Chapter 8: A Bright Light in Darkness**

The mahogany door swung open after the sharp click of a lock being turned, exposing an outpour of yellow light encompassing a blackened figure. The illuminating effect subsided, and Noelle was able to finally look upon her father after nearly a month and a half of his absence in her life.

Felix hadn't aged as properly as he should have, as years of stress and sleepless nights from work had unkindly caught up with him. His hair was streaked with grey, crow's feet wrinkled pale flesh around his eyes, and he donned unkempt bristles on his chin. He eyed his daughter with fatigue, but nonetheless forced himself to smile.

"Noelle, how are ya doing kiddo? Long time no see." He stepped back to allow her passage into his home before he caught sight of her bags and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. He groggily descended down the three steps and grabbed the heaviest one to take back inside with him so her load wouldn't be as burdensome.

"Thanks dad." Noelle appreciatively accepted the assistance with a gratuitous smile before she followed him inside the building and shut the door behind her. The smell of Chinese food deliciously wafted through the air, prompting her stomach to grumble from the mouth-watering scent. "The food smells good."

Her dad heavily trudged up the stairs with her bag hoisted over his shoulder like a sack. "Just got here, so it should still be nice and hot." He entered into her nearly barren room and groaned when he plopped her luggage onto her bed, rubbing his back as he straightened his spine. "Definitely not as fit as I used to be."

Noelle bit her lip, overridden with guilt as she lowered her belongings onto the ivory carpet. "I'm sorry dad. I didn't mean to grab so much."

He tiredly waved her concerns off. "Nah, forget about it. Now, let's go eat." Felix ambled past her and down the stairs, leaving her desolate in the modest cerulean-painted room. His behavior was unsurprising to her, but she had at least expected a hug or some concern over her current situation, even if he wasn't one for physical contact. Her shoulders sagged in disappointment as she flipped her bedroom light off and prepared to join her father for an awkward dinner.

**[][][]**

Noelle absently poked a chopstick at her egg roll as she glanced back and forth between the television and her dad He had set trays up in front of his leather couch so they could eat their dinner in the living room. The ample screen was currently displaying a popular detective series that she had seen displayed on magazine covers and painted across a couple billboards, but had never taken the time to watch herself. Felix's eyes were focused on the screen, but there was a distant look in them, as if he was lost in a field of thought.

She bit into the egg roll and chewed thoroughly, waiting to see if he would perhaps initiate a conversation. When he refrained from doing so, she patted her mouth with a napkin and timidly spoke up. "Thanks for allowing me to stay over here. I'm really sorry about all this."

Felix blinked and tiredly viewed her as if he hadn't understood a single word she had said. "Yeah sure," he replied with a yawn, not even bothering to lift a hand to cover his mouth before he stood up and grabbed the empty container Styrofoam containers off of his tray table.

Noelle contemplated her dad's lagging movement with a great deal of concern, his form sluggishly walking into the dimly lit kitchen like he'd just awakened from a nap. She simply couldn't fathom how her parents had allowed themselves to become so immersed in their work that they forgot to take care of themselves. It was unhealthy, worrying, and certainly not worth however much money they made. With a sigh, she gathered up her containers as well and trailed after him into the kitchen so she could dispose of her utensils. He was leaning over the sink and splashing water into his face as if he was trying to force himself to stay awake. The bottom of her stomach churned worryingly.

"Dad, you should go to sleep. You look tired." She wasn't his mother, so she had no right to admonish him, but she had a stern tone in her gentle voice so he would understand how serious she was.

He shrugged, uncaring of her concern, and walked past her into the hallway towards his computer room. "I'll sleep in a few. Don't worry about me."

"Why don't we talk for a little? I can make us some tea if you want. Would that be-"

"Noelle." Felix had halted in his steps and turned back until his eyes bore into hers. She felt like shrinking under his rigid gaze. "I'm sorry but I have to finish a project tonight. We'll talk in the morning. Good night." The door firmly shut behind him, leaving her alone in the dark hallway with the only sound coming from the TV they'd abandoned moments ago. She stood in silence, her eyes glued to the wooden floor as she forced herself to take a deep breath to quell the hurt she felt.

He was acting even more distant than usual, and she didn't know why. She wondered if it was her fault that he was more stressed out, what with her showing up with barely a warning and an undetermined amount of time that she'd be staying, not to mention all the projects he had to work on. She lifted her eyes to stare sorrowfully stared down the corridor towards his work room before she decided to turn the TV off and retreat to her room for the night.

**[][][]**

"So what do you think Noelle's dad is like?" Mikey cheerfully asked as he swung his legs off the edge of the den's bench, a content grin on his face. He and Leo had arrived back about a half hour ago, only to stumble onto a competitive game between Donnie and Raph while Casey taunted them from the sidelines. Eventually they grew bored and went their own separate ways, leaving behind April, Mikey, and Leo. The leader had turned on Space Heroes, enthralled by the sci-fi show and quoting it word-for-word while April typed on her laptop and Mikey observed her.

The redhead shrugged and continued to tap her fingertips against the keyboard buttons. "I honestly don't know too much about her to really make a guess." She almost wanted to inquire why the question had even been brought up, but this was Mikey asking it. He was just a curious teen who easily got bored and decided to examine the world around him without a reason. The first night she'd stayed over he'd bombarded her with questions about her childhood and her aunt. April had found it strange at first, but then realized it was just his own way of getting to know somebody. He was just a naturally friendly person.

"I wonder if he's this big muscular guy who always flexes his muscles and goes-"Mikey jumped up and showed off his biceps while clearing his throat to take on a deep voice,"- 'Don't mess with my daughter, punk' ".

April giggled at his display, her eyes reverting back to the screen. "Yeah, maybe." She scrolled down and stiffened, her eyes taking on a serious intensity as they processed the information in front of her. "Well this isn't good."

Noting the somberness in her voice, Leo muted his show and gave the freckled girl his full attention. "What's wrong?"

"An increased sighting of the men in suits," April responded as she typed furiously. Mikey returned to his position and peeked over her shoulder. "People are posting a lot of pictures, so it looks like the Kraang are everywhere right now looking for Noelle." When her father had originally disappeared, she'd created a site with a message board for people to write about all the strange sightings around New York as a way for her and the turtles to track her dad down. This time, it would be used to help their new friend.

She turned the laptop around so the oldest brother could view all the posts, his brow lowering when he scanned the pictures. Sure enough, the Kraang were parading about in their disguised suits and expressionless faces all throughout the city. Several of the locations were near Noelle's apartment.

"I think we need to go up and start clearing the streets," he conveyed as he shut the TV off and made his way over to the dojo to put on his gear. "I'm going to let Casey and Raph know right now what the plan is. Mikey, go to Noelle's house and make sure she is okay. April-" he turned his head back and saw how the Kunoich had already closed her laptop and crossed her arms as she defiantly glared at him, "- go with Donnie. We'll split up and scour the city." He knew the redhead hated being cooped up in the lair and miss out on the action, and since she had handled the fly fight pretty well, he was certain that she'd be fine. "Oh, and Mikey?"

The youngest brother blinked curiously at his leader. "Yeah?"

"Don't freak Noelle out. She probably isn't used to a giant turtle appearing at her window."

"Can do!" The freckled terrapin gave a thumbs up at Leo's retreating back before he pulled out his T-phone and began texting the blonde. He winked at April, knowing that she was probably overjoyed at not having to be stuck in the lair by herself again.

Not even bothering to hide her excitement, the teenage girl smirked and cantered over to Donnie's lab. "Good luck Mikey!"

"You too!" The orange-masked ninja grinned as he hit the send button, and quickly made his way out of the tunnels and back up to the surface.

**[][][]**

Noelle lay on the twin-sized bed in a red tank top and matching flannel pants, her hair down from its ponytail and draped across her back while she rested on her stomach. She'd gone ahead and made herself a cup of Chamomile tea and stirred in three spoons of honey for the right flavor. She'd taken only a few sips before she became absorbed in wandering thoughts.

The silence of the house was almost overwhelming after her stay in the lair, where the atmosphere had been boisterous and lively. She already missed her new friends, and realized she couldn't wait to see them again.

Her body twitched in surprise when she heard a chiming sound go off next to her. She turned her head until she noticed the back of the T-Phone, and gradually picked it up before she flipped it around and was met with a lit screen that had the name "Mikey" glowing in bright yellow letters. Puzzled and yet elated over the sudden text, she instantly accepted it and read what he had written to her.

_" Yo dude! so, Leo wants me to make sure that ur ok bcuz I guess the kraang r around ur old area. Im coming over to make sure ur safe, k? Mikey out!"_

A deep fear settled in the pit of her stomach as she reread his words, grateful that her grandma had been moved to someplace safe, and that the Turtles were already working on removing the beings that threatened herself and her mother. Regardless of their assurances though, she still couldn't help feeling guilty that the brothers were putting themselves in harm's way to protect her. After witnessing their fighting skills the night before, she had no doubt that they could take care of themselves.

_But what if they grew exhausted or were outnumbered or-_

"Hey again!"

Noelle was rather proud of herself for not releasing a shriek as Mikey dropped down to her window, her heart profusely pounding as she nearly fell off her bed from backing away in shock. She placed a hand on her chest and took deep breaths to calm herself down before her shoulders sagged in relief at her friend's arrival. Though they had separated not even two hours ago, she was still rather pleased to see him again.

With a grunt she lifted the window up, making a note to herself to clean the glass and sill as both dirt and dust covered her finger tips. "I'm so sorry!" she hastily apologized as she permitted him access. "I wasn't expecting you to arrive so quickly."

"Nah, it's all good," he waved off her apology and bounced onto her bed, his cerulean orbs trailing around the room and a frown on his lips. "This room isn't nearly as cool as your other one."

She apprehensively rubbed her arm as she sat on the bed next to him, slightly embarrassed over his astute observation. "I know. I don't come over here very often, so I guess I just didn't bother decorating. There really isn't a point."

Mikey stared at her as she attempted to hide her forlorn expression. Knowing that something was bothering her, he sat straight up and gave her his full attention. "Why?"

Noelle bit her lower lip. "My dad is always away on business or too busy working, so I don't really get the opportunity to see him."

Truthfully, Mikey couldn't imagine what it would be like to not see Splinter for a while. He didn't quite understand how Noelle felt, but he wanted to try and make her feel better somehow.

"I see. That's like April's dad and aunt. Her aunt is always working and her dad was mutated, so I think she gets kinda lonely. I tried to tell her that it was okay because our dad was mutated too, and I guess it worked because she laughed. Donnie told me it wasn't the same thing, but I mean, it totally is!" He extended his hand out and spread his three fingers. "I'm mutated, and it isn't so bad! I just look different."

She found it rather ironic that she looked "normal" and could fit in with everybody on the surface, yet was lonely, even with all the people around her. Mikey was considered strange by human standards, and even though he only had his family, April and Casey, he seemed rather content and sociable.

She stared at his hand, and then glanced down at her own, mentally comparing their life styles. Noelle repeated the eye movement a few more times, oblivious to Mikey studying her. He suddenly broke out into a grin and rubbed his hands together like he'd come up with a genius idea.

"Let's make an art piece together to put on your wall!"

The blonde blinked at his sudden request before the corners of her mouth tilted up. "Alright. Do you have an idea of what you want to create?"

Mikey hopped off the bed and bounced on the heels of his feet. "Yeah! Let's get paint and paper!"

Noelle nodded and proceeded to unpack her art supplies until she reached a canvas and one of her bins of paint. She had just set her easel up when she turned around and noticed the terrapin squeezing orange paint onto his left hand. She quickly placed the canvas on the easel and watched as he set the tube down and rubbed his hands together so they were both plastered with the acrylic medium.

"Why are you doing that?"

Mikey stood up and stepped over to her side, appearing rather elated about his mysterious plan. "Watch this!" He flattened both hands firmly on the board before he pulled away and triumphantly gestured at the two orange hand prints. "Ta-dah!"

Noelle wasn't sure why that was what he wanted to do, but she wouldn't question it if it made him happy. She, out of all people, understood that everybody experienced and produced different versions of art, and just because somebody didn't understand the work didn't mean it wasn't creative or beautiful.

"It looks beautiful," she sincerely complimented, promising herself that she would hang it up as soon as she could.

Mikey continued his bouncing and shook his head. "Not yet! What's your favorite color?"

Noelle wondered what else he was planning to add to the picture, and was rather intrigued by his concealed idea. She pondered over the question, as she found something likable about all the colors she used. She finally settled on an answer after hastily running through a list in her mind.

"I like dark blue, specifically midnight blue," she answered. "It reminds me of the night sky, which is why it is really inspiring to me." To prove her point, she went back onto her bed and peered out the window, allowing the night air to caress her loose strands of hair as she pointed at the sky. "It's about that color."

"It isn't midnight though."

She continued looking outside, a blissful look on her features. "It will be, though."

**[Meet Joe Black: Walkaway]**

Mikey beamed and grabbed one of her wrists, smearing orange paint on her ivory flesh. He slowly pulled her off the bed and towards the canvas before he bent down and grabbed a tube with a dark blue color label on it. He twisted the cap off and gestured his head towards her hands with a nod. She complied, and shyly extended her palms out so he could squirt some of the paint onto her.

"Now rub them together," he cordially directed her before he displayed his own smeared hands. "They have to look like mine!"

Noelle followed his instructions, and felt herself giggling when the cool substance slathered itself over her palms and fingers.

Mikey grinned. "Okay, now here's the cool part." He stepped behind her and innocently encircled his arms around her form so that he could reach her forearms, his plastron pressed firmly against her back. She stiffened up at first from the unfamiliar contact, but then relaxed, her cheeks stained pink from the warmth in her chest. It was a little frightful, but also exciting, as she'd never been able to experience something so personal before.

The orange-masked turtle moved the both of them forward, and then flattened her palms in the center of the board. Once he was sure she'd left a mark, he stepped back and over to her side, his lips pulled back into a smile when he saw the delighted expression on her face.

A set of orange three-fingered hands covered a majority of the piece, but right on top of it was a miniature set of blue human prints. As Noelle studied the artwork with fascination and wonderment, an idea gathered in her head. Mikey witnessed as she lifted a finger up and spelled her name neatly on the board. She stepped back and glanced back at the terrapin, who caught on right away. He nearly bounded forward as he wrote his the shortened version of his name in bigger, sloppier letters, pronouncing one letter at a time until his whole name was on there.

He stepped back, proudly standing next to her as they contently viewed their masterpiece.

"It's magnificent Mikey," Noelle at last breathed out before turning to face him. "Thank you."

The turtle draped an arm over her shoulders and smirked. "Naw. We did it together! That's what's up!" He held raised a hand up, and this time the young artist enthusiastically slapped her palm against his. Speckles of paint splattered onto their faces at the forceful contact, leaving both of the teens silent before they burst out laughing. Noelle covered her mouth to try to keep her laughter quiet, but she only ended up smearing more orange and blue paint on her face. She was embarrassed until Mikey smeared some on his face as well to match her. This only provoked them into even more laughter, until both of them had to sit down to prevent themselves from falling over.

She had never laughed so hard before in her life. Her ribs hurt and her eyes watered as her body shook relentlessly. She was surprised her father didn't hear the commotion, but she was glad he hadn't, otherwise the moment would be ruined.

"We should clean up," she suggested once they both had calmed down, each of them still smiling.

"Aw, really?" Mikey pouted. "I kinda dig the look."

Noelle giggled and ambled over to her door, her hand slipping a little on the knob before she managed to swing it open. "I suppose we can create more art again soon."

The freckled teen brightened at the suggestion, eagerly nodding his head and giving her an orange thumbs-up. "You got it dude!"

The human girl disappeared for only a minute before returning with some wet wash cloths and two fluffy towels. The pair quickly cleaned themselves up, finishing just at Mikey's T-phone began to ring.

**[+]**

"Aw snap, looks like it's Leo!" he announced to her before answering. "What up bro?"

_"Mikey, we finished cleaning the area up. Is Noelle safe?"_

The lime-green reptile leaned over to Noelle and poked her face, prompting a curious and timid glance from her. "Yeah dude. She's fine. Yo, you gotta check out our art! It should be in a museum or something!"

He could almost hear Leo rolling his eyes and smirking. _"Uh, maybe next time. Meet us at the lair."_

"You got it!" He clicked the phone off and turned towards her. "Well, I gotta go. I have to be quiet all the way home, thought."

She tilted her head, worry gnawing in her stomach again as she wondered if something was wrong. "Oh, because you'll get caught? Is everything okay?"

Mikey straightened his posture and cleared his throat so it took on a deeper tone. "Because I'm a ninja and ninjas have to be quiet. Shh! Be quiet. All ninjas must be quiet." He winked. "Do I sound like Leo?"

Noelle clamped her jaw shut to stifle her laughter. "I'm not sure. Does he actually sound like that?"

"Pffft all the time! He isn't as bad as he used to be, but he totally let the whole leadership thing go to his head!"

She chuckled. "I guess it can be very easy to do. He seems like he does a good job though, and that's all that matters, right?"

"Dude, Leo almost died once to save us! It was so cool, well not at the time, but it was bad butt!"

Once again, Noelle had to force back her laughter. "What's a bad butt?"

He rubbed his green head as if he had to think deeply about the question. "I'm not sure, but I heard Master Splinter tell Raph to say that word instead of some other one."

"Makes sense." She watched as Mikey stepped out of her window and glanced back down at her, his eyes glowing as softly as he when he had saved her.

"See ya tomorrow. You'll be kicking Kraang butt in no time!" He punched a fist in the air and then cheerfully waved before he leapt out of her window and down to the streets below. Noelle leaned on the sill and smiled when he reached the man hole and turned around to wave at her once again. When he disappeared into the dismal tunnel, she turned around and focused on the new painting they created. She casually strolled over to it, analyzing it closely with every step she took. Her hand raised itself up and landed on one of the prints she'd created earlier. She compared her size to Mikey's, and realized that his hands were so much bigger than hers, yet he was able to use them to fight and be gentle at the same time. He was a kind soul who she felt beyond lucky to have as a friend.

As she lowered her hand and unknowingly traced their names with her finger tips, she felt a tear sliding down her cheek. Shocked, she reached up to wipe it away, only for another one to fall on the other side of her face. These tears weren't from sadness, but a lightness in her heart that made her feel joy.

These were _happy_ tears.

She'd never experienced crying from joy before, but now she was so grateful to be experiencing the warmth flowing through her chest as she realized that the elation she felt was from sharing something so precious with Mikey that she'd never experienced with anybody else before. He had given her an art piece made of a friendship, and she would never forgive the kindness of that moment.

"Thank you Mikey."


	9. First Step

_**As always, thanks so much for your patience and positive reviews. I just recently went to a convention, so now that that's over I should have more time to write and update faster. **_

_**By the way, I am absolutely in love with season four right now. **_

**Chapter 9: First Step**

Felix, unsurprisingly, was not awake by the time Noelle departed for school. His audible snoring vehemently traveled down the narrow hallway and up to the second floor. She wondered how long he'd actually slept, and hoped that it was more than just a few hours. To improve his day and encourage him, she left a note reminding him to eat and take care of himself. To make the letter even sweeter, she drew a quick sketch of herself waving and smiling, with the words "_have a good day_" floating next to her head. She left the note towards the edge of the dining table so he would see the bright white paper when he entered the kitchen.

She finally left and hurried through the chilly morning air to the nearest subway, pulling her navy blue sweater tighter against her to fight off the unwanted frigid breeze. When she finally made it through the throngs of people in the station and managed to board a train, she pulled out her T-Phone to check her progress on time, and noticed a text alert. Curious, she opened it up and saw that April had sent her a message about five minutes ago.

_Morning! Casey and I are waiting right outside the station for you. We'll see you when you get here. : ]_

The signal underground was weak so she didn't have the opportunity to reply, but it still made her smile to know that somebody was actually willing to take time out of their day to text her. She pressed the phone against her chest with one hand and held on to the strap above her with the other, humming in contentment. Although she was still nervous about talking to people, she was learning, and for the first time in years, she no longer felt invisible.

**[][][]**

As planned, Casey and April were waiting outside the station when Noelle finally got off about ten minutes later. They waved to her, and she returned the gesture with a timid wave of her own as she sauntered over to them.

"I-I'm sorry I couldn't respond to your message, April. I was in the subway and there isn't very good reception," the blonde briskly explained, still feeling rather guilty over not being able to reply. The last thing she wanted was for a friend, especially somebody so compassionate, to find her rude or ignorant.

Fortunately, the red head didn't seem the least bit bothered. "Hey, I get it. I just wanted to let you know we were ready and waiting," April kindly informed her, gently brushing off the words with a head shake. "I'm glad you're okay. I think we got rid of all the Kraang in your area last night, but I guess the boys are going to patrol later on just to make sure."

Noelle felt so humbled that these two people who had only talked to her two days ago were already going through such an effort to protect her. "Thank you so much, and I'm so sorry for not helping! That was really nice of you. Hopefully after training with Sensei a little bit I can provide assistance and return the favor."

The Kunoich's face lit up at the reminder. "Oh yeah! Are you excited?"

Before she could respond, Casey draped his arms around the shoulders of both girls and leaned forward, unaware of how Noelle stiffened up from the sudden and unfamiliar contact. "Well ladies, Casey Jones would be more than happy to escort you to school. Who's ready to go be tortured by pointless lessons? Yahoo!"

April noticed the discomfort on the other girl's face, and realized that the young artist seemed really nervous around others still. She knew Casey was a bit slow when it came to reading comfort levels, so she decided to step in. The freckled girl shrugged the vigilante's arm off of her and gently pushed the blonde forward while they walked together.

"Nah, I think we're good here Jones. I suppose we appreciate the offer though, right Noelle?" She winked at the other girl.

It took Noelle a second to realize that April was helping her out, but when she did she smiled gratefully and bobbed her head in agreement. "Your gesture is admirable."

Casey scoffed at the remarks but grinned anyways. "Whatever. One day you both will be at Casey Jones's door begging for his protection."

The red head jabbed a finger at the boy's chest with a smirk. "Whatever you say, Jones. Pretty sure it'll be the other way around though."

Noelle surprised herself by giggling along as the three of them continued pleasantly conversing on their walk. It was almost a disbelieving scenario for her to actually be talking and laughing with somebody on the way to school when she'd so many others do the same thing countless times as she enviously watched. Now, she could also stroll through the bustling morning streets of New York City with a smile on her face, and the feeling was fantastic.

Within about five minutes the small group arrived on campus and came across the girl Casey had disdainfully referred to as Irma. The bespectacled teen stood impatiently in front of the school's entrance, her gaze averting from her cell phone up to the oncoming trio. She pushed her lens up with two fingers before she advanced forward to greet her friends, a brow raising when her eyes fell upon Noelle. As if studying her, Irma pushed her face into the blonde's personal space, causing the other girl to once more stiffen up.

"And you are?"

Suddenly unable to speak and rather uncomfortable by the pushiness of her acquaintance, Noelle stumbled over words that should have been simple to voice. "I-I'm,uh…"

"Irma, this is Noelle. Noelle, meet Irma," April interrupted in an attempt to save the flustered girl. "Casey and I met her yesterday, so we decided to walk to school together this morning."

Irma eyed Noelle once more before she nodded, apparently satisfied with the explanation. "Well, we better hurry up and get to class then. I have a test in Chemistry and I refuse to fail after all that studying." She pushed up her glasses once more and entered through the school's double doors, unaware of Casey mocking her from behind. He grunted when April elbowed him in the ribs.

"Hey, take it easy, Red! I need this for vigilante mode later."

The red head rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say Jones. Anyways, we need to get to class too. Who doesn't like good old Algebra first thing in the morning?"

Noelle followed her friends, her lips thinning into a frown at the unpleasant thought of perplexing equations. "I'm actually terrible at math," she softly added on, rather embarrassed at the difficulty she experienced with numbers. "I prefer English."

The freckled teen halted in the middle of her walk and spun around with a bright simper on her face. "No kidding? Well, it just so happens that I'm pretty great at Math, but I've experienced several battles with writing papers. Why don't we help each other out after training later? I just need some tips and proofreading for the essay I'm currently working on, it that's alright with you."

Thrilled that she'd found somebody willing to help her with her mathematical struggles, Noelle exhaled a sigh of relief. "That would be amazing. Thank you."

Casey crossed his arms and pouted. "How come you stopped tutoring me, Red?"

"Because you don't even try. Besides, you've never once volunteered to help me."

"I just don't want you to fail. I'm looking out for your grades here."

April snorted and continued walking. "Well thanks Jones. I appreciate it."

"Anytime!"

**[][][]**

Lunch eventually arrived after three lengthy classes, and with it were hungry teens scurrying into line for Pizza Thursday. Noelle had made her way over from Art class with paint smudged across her fingertip and a home made lunch. She spotted Casey signaling her over with a wave, and she felt herself beaming at the opportunity to enjoy lunch with friends.

She ended up laughing quite a lot as April constantly elbowed or swatted Casey's arm while he made fun of Irma's know-it-all attitude by either mouthing what she was saying or mimicking her gestures as she carried on explaining facts she'd learned during Chemistry or AP History. Noelle tried to be polite and pay attention, but she kept getting distracted by Casey and April's amusing silent bickering. She was rather proud of the fact that she was able to suppress her giggles either through biting her sandwich or pressing her face into her palm. April smirked at the blonde trying to control herself, secretly glad that the girl she'd always seen sitting quietly by herself seemed to actually be having a good time.

It was a nice feeling, and even Casey revealed a toothless grin when he noticed their new friend enjoying herself. He just hoped she'd willingly do it more often.

**[][][]**

"I can't believe you guys are ditching me again," Irma exasperatedly pouted with her arms crossed. "I thought we were seeing that new movie about the superhero triplets."

Casey disdainfully wrinkled his nose. "I don't know. There's just something weird about some dude creating girls in his basement."

The group of four were walking out of school, conversing about plans Noelle had been unaware of. Of course, it wasn't any of her business, and she had to stop home anyways to grab clothes for training. She wondered if she was supposed to text one of the turtles after going home, or if April and Casey would be joining her so somebody could navigate her through the sewers. She hoped to learn the path to the lair soon so she wouldn't have to keep inconveniencing everybody. After all, there were surely more important things to do than help her out all the time.

A vibration in her pocket prompted the blonde to reach in and grab her phone, wondering who could possibly be contacting her. She switched the T-Phone on and was surprised to see two messages. The first one was from Leo.

_Good afternoon. Donnie and Mikey are on their way to escort you to the lair. See you later._

The second text was from Mikey.

_hey dude! look up : D_

Noelle lifted her eyes and scoured the top of nearby buildings, feeling the corners of her lips turn up in delight when she spotted a green figure excitedly waving. Her phone buzzed once again, this time showing a text from Donnie.

_We'll meet you in the alley next to our location._

She tucked her phone back into her pocket and turned to face April, who was surprisingly staring at the same rooftop with a smirk on her face.

"Guess we better head over huh? Coming Jones?"

Eager to get away from their nerdy friend, he nodded and gently pushed the two girls ahead. "Yeah, uh sorry Irma. Next time okay," he called out over his shoulder before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Sometime next year maybe."

April elbowed Casey in the rib cage. "Don't be rude!" she hissed, but there was a trace of humor sparkling in her eyes.

The three friends quickly made their way over to the narrow passage cloaked in shadow, April using her telepathy to ensure nobody else besides the turtles were nearby. Noelle jumped when the terrapin brothers suddenly landed in front of her without warning, Mikey giggling at her surprised face.

"Yeah! We got you good!" the youngest turtle gleefully boasted, seemingly uncaring of the fact that he'd nearly given her a heart attack. He watched as the blonde stumbled back with a hand on her chest, taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

Donnie rolled his eyes. "Mikey, we weren't trying to scare her, and we should probably refrain from doing so again."

"But dude, she wasn't the only one scared! Look at Casey!" All eyes turned to focus on the hockey player, who had managed to straighten himself up in the nick of time, forcing effects of the jump scare to disperse before he was labeled a chicken by the others.

"Casey Jones doesn't get scared," he defended himself in an attempt to retain his "tough guy" image, ignoring the snort from April.

"Whatever you say Jones."

"Anyways," Donnie interrupted, "we were told to make sure Noelle gets to the lair safely for training." He stared down at the shorter girl. "Do you still need to get your workout clothes?"

Embarrassed that she was once again forcing her friends to go out of their way from her, she shamefully nodded her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to carry too much to school so I was planning to get them from my dad's house first."

Not the least bit bothered, Mikey hopped from foot to foot with a grin. "Sweet! Maybe we can get the grand tour!"

"Casey Jones is in!"

"Don't be rude! You can't just go barging into people's homes and demand a tour," April admonished, wondering how her male friends could be so childish.

Noelle considered the idea for another, although she wasn't sure if she could warmly guide people through the house without becoming shy. She knew that she might be able to with Mikey, and maybe even April, but she didn't know the others well enough to comfortably speak in front of them. Although she had already made significant progress within only a couple days, she was still a little unsure when it came to socializing with others ,and the thought of people watching her and waiting on her to take them to the next room was rather unnerving.

"I-I'm really sorry, but I think my dad is there. Perhaps when he leaves soon to travel for work I can."

Mikey looked a tad bit disappointed, but he still grinned as if he didn't have a care in the world. "Alright! I can't wait!"

Donnie cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but we really need to go. We've already been out in the open too long, and Leo will eventually start worrying."

"We can just meet you in the lair later," April suggested. "I obviously know how to get there by now."

Casey shrugged and appeared disinterested. "I'm just gonna go shoot some pucks real quick. Waiting for you guys to finish your ninja stuff is bor-ing." He raised a hand up in farewell before venturing back into the streets.

Noelle bit her lower lip, not thrilled with the idea of further inconveniencing somebody. "I appreciate the help, but I think I'll be okay-"

April placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Trust me when I say that just because you think you're safe doesn't mean you are. They also kept an eye on me for a little bit until they were certain I could defend myself. I hated constantly being kept under watch, but I'm also grateful for it."

Flushing at the misinterpretation, Noelle shook her head quickly. "It's not that I think I am perfectly fine on my own, I just don't like being such a bother."

"Dude, you're totally not," Mikey assured her. "If you want, I can just take you back to your place and then we can meet up with the others. I've totally got this."

Donnie hesitated. He wanted to protest, but knew that two of them guarding her seemed a bit excessive. April had been telling the truth about him and his brothers keeping an eye on her, but it had usually only been one of them at a time. Mikey would be more than enough to keep her safe, and besides, it would give him some alone time with April. He glanced down at the red-head, only to blush and shyly look away when she smiled up at him. Taking a deep breath to compose himself, the tallest terrapin straightened up to give his answer. "Alright, that's fine. If Leo asks I'll just remind him that you watched her last night without any problems." He nodded at the two before hunching over so April could climb on his back, her brow raised but a smirk on her face at the invitation.

"Thanks D. We'll see you soon!" April seated herself on his shell, holding on tightly as Donnie catapulted them up the wall and eventually out of sight.

"Guess that's our cue," Mikey cheerfully exclaimed as he also hunched over. Noelle clambered on, trying to contain a gleeful giggle when Mikey briskly climbed up the brick surface until they were freely running across the rooftops.

"M-may I ask why you seem so excited today?" Noelle nervously inquired, hoping she didn't seem rude. As far she could tell, Mikey seemed lively everyday, but he seemed even more so at that moment. "I'm glad you are, but you look even happier right now, and I was just curious."

Not the slightest bit bothered by her question, the freckled turtle only grinned and increased his speed. "Dude, I'm just excited you get to train with us today! It's gonna be awesome!"

Although she was flattered over his excitement, she still couldn't help feeling nervous. "What if I mess up though?"

He seemed a bit surprised at her worries, his lips twisting into a confused frown. "Well, yeah, but why wouldn't you? I mean, me and my bros, especially my bros because I'm great, screw up all the time. Uh, I think Sensei said that's how you learn, so how can you learn if you don't mess up?"

Calmed by his advice, Noelle allowed her stiffened shoulders to relax. She was still uneasy about having others analyzing her fighting techniques, but at least she knew she wasn't the only one who would make mistakes. After all, it was only normal to not start off strongly when being taught something new. She could vaguely recall trying to copy her grandma's drawings when she was younger and only able to draw crooked stick people, but clearly she had improved since then thanks to patience and practice. All she needed to do now was apply the same method to fighting.

Realizing that Mikey was right, she decided not to focus on her unsettled nerves and instead enjoy the ride that provided her with an impressive view of the city. "You're right. Thank you."

Pleased with himself for actually being able to offer solid advice he beamed in pride, practically skipping across the next building gap and drawing a delighted gasp from the girl on his gasp. "Anytime!"

Minutes later they arrived back at Felix's place and carefully climbed down to the balcony outside Noelle's window. Mikey waited for her to climb in and peek around to make sure her dad wasn't nearby before she signaled the terrapin to enter. The young reptile followed in after her and bounced onto her bed with an eager smile on his face.

"So is your dad home?"

"I'm not sure. I think I should go at least let him know I'll be out tonight." Noelle sighed wistfully, as she knew that her dad probably wouldn't even notice she was gone. They still hadn't fully talked to each other, and she wondered if they would even be able to before he took off again. Mikey was rather confused by her saddened tone, and wondered if perhaps it was because she was once again not getting to spend time with her father.

"Are you okay?"

Blinking rapidly and shifting all focus away from her thoughts, the blonde teen smiled and nodded. The last thing she wanted to do was concern him again because of some self-pitying thoughts she was harboring, so instead she would push her temporary morose behind her and focus on training and spending time with her friend.

"I'm fine. I'll be right back," she assured him before exiting her room and shutting the door behind her. Mikey took her word with ease and eagerly sprung off her mattress so he could take a better look around her new room, eager to explore the unfamiliar area while he waited.

_After all, she probably wouldn't mind, right?_

**[][][]**

The bottom part of the house was still and silent, with only the sounds of her footsteps creaking against the wooden flooring audible through the unsettling shadows of the hallway. Noelle hesitantly advanced towards her father's work room and gently rapped her knuckles against the door.

"Come in."

Relieved that he was still home, she entered into the room and saw Felix hunched over his computer, hair sticking out and bags beneath his eyes as he feverishly clicked his moused. She was amazed and yet disturbed over how both of her parents behaved in such an unhealthy manner when it came to their work load.

"Dad, I'm going over to a friend's house tonight. I shouldn't be back too late, if that's okay."

"Uh-huh." His eyes didn't so much as leave the monitor.

She cleared her throat before continuing. "Might I have a spare key so I don't disturb you when I come back?"

"I'll be up."

"But what about when you're gone for work?"

The clicking of his mouse came to a stop and he finally turned around to face her with bloodshot eyes, making her realize that he really slept for only a few hours after all. "Guess I didn't think about that, huh kiddo? Your old man is getting old." He stood up and stretched his rigid limbs out, stiff from multiple hours of sitting. "If I remember to get to it tomorrow I will. Just leave me a note or something to remind me."

It was the best she was going to get out of him. She was a bit hurt that he didn't even mention her note, but perhaps he had somehow just not seen it. Stepping back to allow him passage into the corridor, she watched his retreating form unsteadily amble towards the kitchen. She pursued after him and stood in the entry way, wanting to say something but unsure of what. Her eyes fell on the untouched note on the table, but instead of saying something, she felt that it might be better for him to discover it on his own so it meant more. She couldn't really have a full conversation with him at the moment because Mikey was waiting for her and she didn't want to be rude, so instead she settled on the customary words that children usually exchanged with their parents.

"I love you dad."

"Yeah, you too." Felix had mumbled the words exhaustively, but at least he'd turned around and offered a small smile. "Be safe kiddo."

She beamed jovially at his response, as she hadn't expected to even get one. "Thanks dad. You too."

**[][][]**

Noelle returned back to her room in higher spirits, pleased that she'd been able to have a much needed moment with her dad. It was short and sweet, but enough to satisfy her desire for some father-daughter time. She opened her door and noticed Mikey staring up at the painting they'd created together the previous night. As soon as he'd left, she'd wasted no time in hanging it up, as she'd been elated over being able to form an art piece with a friend for the first time. It was special to her, and she knew that she'd always cherish it.

"Wow! You put it up!" Mikey appeared positively elated that Noelle had decided to proudly display their masterpiece. "Ooh, can we do one for my room too? It looks awesome!"

She giggled at his enthusiasm and went to work at once on trying to find some comfortable clothes she could use for training. "I would love to. If you want, I can bring over some paint. I do have a lot of acrylic tubes we can use."

He wasn't entirely sure what acrylic was, but he was excited over the idea nonetheless. "Sweet! Dude, my room is going to look awesome by the time we're done!"

Satisfied with a pair of black sweat pants and a plain grey t-shirt she'd found, Noelle stuffed the clothes into a small backpack, along with a clean pair of undergarments, socks, and some deodorant. She proceeded to search for some brushes and paint she could also fit into her bag to bring along to the lair. "I'll bring some other colors over so your brothers can use them as well. Maybe you can do some hand paintings with them too."

"No way! This is _our_ thing, they can find their own!"

She was so caught off-guard by his hasty and defensive response that it took her a moment to have a reaction to it. Her cheeks heated up and her heart pounded as exhilaration flooded through her in one brisk sweep. To share something so special and private with another was a joy she'd never known before, and she was positively thrilled that Mikey wanted to participate in the activity with only her. As she glanced at the painting, she viewed it with a new-found sense of appreciation and significance.

Noelle and Mikey stood next to each other and stared at the wall, both of them contently beaming at the symbol they'd unknowingly created together for their friendship. They glanced at each other and broke into hushed laughter, pleased with their secretive memory and not having to share it with anybody else.

"Okay Mikey, this can be our thing."

"Promise?" He held out his pinky finger.

"I promise." Noelle hooked her smaller finger around his, and then they shared a smile.

**[][][]**

The trip to the lair consisted of Mikey rambling on about the latest comic book he'd read, only stopping to point out a number on the sewer's wall as a way for Noelle to remember how to get to the turtles' home. She mentally noted all the numbers and tunnel turns, although she figured it would definitely take her a couple more trips before she had the route memorized by heart. She wondered if eventually she'd be able to learn how to reach the lair from any location like April and Casey. At least, she assumed they could, as they didn't really seem to need any guidance and had known the brothers far longer that she had. Perhaps they would be willing to show her tricks or short cuts.

Eventually the duo arrived, with Noelle pushing through the turnstile and Mikey hopping over it. Leo was glued to some animated space show on TV while Raph sat behind him reading a magazine. Donnie wasn't anywhere in sight, so she assumed that he was in his lab again.

"The captain never leaves his crew behind. If you aren't willing to sacrifice yourself for your team, then you can't be a leader," Leo mocked the displayed male character word-for-word, his voice deepened and a finger raised up.

"Whatever you say Hero Boy," Raph grumbled from his spot, still unable to understand how his brother could be so infatuated with such a dumb show.

"Whaddup my brothers!?" Mikey bellowed as he cantered into the living room, Noelle following close behind. He was immediately shushed by Leo.

"Be quiet! This is the best part!"

"Yeah little bro, how dare you talk over an episode that our Fearless Leader has seen over a thousand times?"

"It's a good show!"

"You know you're the only one who thinks that, right?"

"Noelle, does this look stupid to you?" Leo gazed up at her with pleading eyes, apparently desperate to have somebody on his side. "Nobody else here will give it a chance!"

"Hey, I watched it with you!"

"Mikey, you were playing on your T-Phone the entire time! That doesn't count!"

"At least I was there!"

While the brothers continued their squabbling, Noelle focused on the program and watched as a young man freaked out before being slapped humorously on the cheek. She giggled, forcing the turtles to halt their bickering and turn their attention on her. She instantaneously became embarrassed, and fidgeted uncomfortably under their stares.

"Wh-what?"

"She laughed! She likes it!" Leo triumphantly threw his hands up in the air and pumped them around in a victory dance.

Mikey just watched the situation with an oblivious smile while Raph rolled his eyes. "Probably because it's so laughably bad."

"You take that back!"

"**Enough**." Splinter thumped the end of his staff on the floor, immediately quieting his sons before he faced Noelle. " Welcome. Are you ready to begin training, my dear?"

The butterflies fluttered back into her stomach, but she nodded anyways. "May I please change first?"

"Of course."

While Noelle hurried to the restroom, April and Donnie finally emerged from the lab, talking excitedly about a successful experiment that they'd managed to put together. Mikey didn't understand a single word they were saying, but he did know that the lab projects were just as important to Donnie and April as art painting together was for him and Noelle, and that him feel cheerful. He didn't comprehend art the same way his friend did, but he hoped that maybe someday she would feel comfortable enough to show him more of her world.

Within minutes Noelle returned, her hair wrapped up into a neat high bun and baggy clothes hanging off her slender frame. Her features lit up a little when she saw April, but the way her fingers kept grabbing onto each other signified that she was still anxious about training. She took a few deep breaths, relaxing when Mikey gave her an encouraging thumbs-up before she walked over to Splinter and politely bowed to him.

"I'm ready Sensei."

"Very good, my child. I know you are afraid, but do not be. My sons, April and I will be here to help you. " Upon that note, he gestured towards his sons with his nose. "Boys, please come into the dojo with me. It is important that for Noelle's first day she has some support."

"Ooh, does she get to choose a weapon?" Mikey excitedly asked as he bounced on his feet. He hoped that eventually she would be able to go on missions with them so he could partner up with her, as his brothers found him to be too loud and his capability to touch everything in sight rather unnerving.

"Not yet, but I will provide her with a Hanbo to practice with," Splinter responded. "One step at a time, Michelangelo."

"I'm going to help train you today since I was also recently a beginner and know how to hold back better than the guys. I'm still learning, so this will be great practice for us both," April added on with a gentle smile.

Noelle felt better knowing that the redhead would be fighting alongside her, but that didn't mean she could just let her guard down and relax. She'd been informed that the training and exercises would be difficult, so she still had to give it her all.

"Sensei, what is a Hanbo?"

"Ah, it is a stick beginners use to practice with. Although your weapon of choice may not be a staff or sword, it is still important to learn the ways of defense, aim, and offense," the kindhearted rat explained with patience. "I will allow you to take one home, as practice will always be essential to mastering your movement and form."

"I understand, Sensei."

"Good. Now Noelle..." Splinter began walking towards the dojo, his sons and April trailing after him, "...it is time for you take your first step on this journey."


	10. Practice Makes Perfect

_**This is probably the fastest I've ever updated. You guys have been so awesome and supportive to me, and I really don't know how to thank you. : ] Thanks for all the love you've shown this story and the relationship developing between Noelle and Mikey. **_

**Chapter 10: Practice Makes Perfect**

"Ninjutsu is a sacred art of defense," Splinter explained once his students had assembled into the dojo and taken their seats on the tatami floor. "There are eighteen skills associated with this fighting style, most of which my sons have nearly mastered. Disguises, weapon-throwing, stealth and infiltration, unarmed combat, and spiritual refinement are only just a few of the techniques I have taught. They are a necessity for completely overthrowing the enemy and maintaining an advantage during the fight." He stared down at Noelle and raised a hand as a signal for her to stand up.

She stood straight with her head held high as a way to display her respect towards him. She knew that her eyes displayed uneasiness, for her stomach was already turning from nerves that she had tried to vanquish throughout the day. Mikey had done his best to assure her that making mistakes was only to be expected, but she didn't want to appear like a clumsy and weak girl who would never be able to stand her ground. The only thing she could do was fully commit herself to the lessons and practice whenever she could at home, otherwise she would always be scared of being defenseless, and that wasn't something she wanted to feel for the rest of her life.

"Noelle, we will waste no time in readying you for combat. This will not be easy, but I have faith that you will benefit greatly from my lessons. This is your last chance to back out, because once we start there is no stopping. Do you wish to proceed?"

She could feel everybody's eyes on her as they waited eagerly for her answer. She knew that this moment would be a critical point in her life, one that was important and essential if she wished to see her mom again. She couldn't afford to sit around while her and her loved ones were at risk, and she most definitely couldn't allow the Kraang to use her mother as a slave for taking over Earth, so she took a deep breath and stared right into Splinter's eyes, hoping that she didn't appear weak and hesitant about her decision.

"Hai Sensei."

"Yes!" Mikey exclaimed, prompting April to burst into giggles from her spot adjacent to him. Leo glared at his little brother for interrupting such an important moment, but didn't bother saying anything to avoid adding to the disturbance. Raph smirked over his leader's irritation while Donnie tried not to chortle at Mikey and April's amusement. Noelle bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from laughing in hopes that the rat master wouldn't think she wasn't taking the situation seriously, but her lips still widened into a tight-lipped smile over Mikey's excitement. The way he laughed and found humor in everything was contagious.

"Michelangelo and April, now is not the time for games. You know better than that," Splinter lectured, but he too was forcing back a smile over his youngest son's antics.

"Sorry Sensei," April and Mikey apologized in unison, though they were still clearly struggling not to grin. Leo rolled his eyes and shifted his attention back over to his father, willing him to continue before more nonsense ensued.

"Now, let us begin your practice." Splinter strolled over to one of the dojo's walls and grabbed two wood staffs that were approximately three feet in length. He handed one over to Noelle, and then gestured for April to stand and take the other. "This is the Hanbo, which can be used for attacking, but is more effectively used for defense, much like Donatello's Bo Staff. Therefore, I want you both to take turns delivering blows at the other so I can see where each of you stands when it comes to defending and striking."

Noelle gripped the wooden pole and attempted to calm her racing heart so she could focus on her opponent. She was grateful April was the one she was training with first, for if she had been facing one of the brothers she would have felt far more intimidated. Of course, she knew she would have to eventually, but for now she would take Sensei's words to heart and move forward only one step at a time.

"Noelle, I want you to go against April first. She has been my student for quite a while now, and should be able to demonstrate how to properly block an attack. Learn from your partner."

The red head bowed, and Noelle respectfully returned the movement. Out of the corner of her eye she could see all the brothers leaning forward in interest, curious to see just how skilled she was. Although she could understand their curiosity, she still couldn't help but wish for them to not watch her so intently, as it was making her feel more unsettled.

"Begin."

Noelle was hesitant, almost unsure of what to do as pressure crawled up her body and froze her. She tried to move, reminding herself that in real life an enemy wouldn't pause and allow her to hit them. Even with a weapon she felt defenseless, and the only one who could do something about that was her.

"You can do it," April mouthed with an encouraging smile when she sensed her partner's reluctance. When she'd first started, she been more excited than anything to learn how to fight and push back the people who went after her. Noelle wasn't like her though, which meant she would need a little boost in moral support. For a girl who was always silent and withdrawn from society this was probably a nerve-wrecking moment, and April was going to do all she could to help her friend.

With a bit of renewed faith in herself, the blonde teenager lifted the stick up and focused on trying to strike April. She reminded herself that this was something the red head had done before, and would probably be able to block every strike easily. Sure enough, when Noelle lunged forward to attack, her staff was blocked by April's. The wood smacking into each other created a sharp slapping noise that echoed within the dojo's walls and caused her to cringe.

"Do not hesitate. Show me what you can do," Splinter instructed in a gentle but stern voice.

Noelle aimed for April's left side, and once again was blocked. A new sort of determination filled her, and she was suddenly hit by the realization that everything that was happening in that moment was very real. She was being trained by a master of Ninjutsu to defend herself and take down enemies, and she couldn't waste his time for nothing. Even though she was a naturally timid girl, she had no choice but to leave her shy nature behind and seriously fight. She wasn't a child anymore, and it was time for her to grow up a little.

Her strikes became more frequent as she fixated her sight on different parts of April's body to hit. With each impact deflected, Noelle grew more eager to prove to herself and the others that she really could do this, that she wasn't some wimpy girl who sat and cried in her room all day. With adrenaline flowing in her veins, she put all her strength into one final blow and struck her combat partner in the side.

The freckled girl cried out as she fell to the ground, but she was also proudly smirking and waving Noelle away as the blonde guiltily rushed over to help. "No, that was awesome! Good for you."

"Booyakasha! You go girl!" Mikey held out his hand and Noelle slapped it, her bashful nature beginning to return as her pounding heart slowed down and sweat trickled down her forehead. She glanced at the other turtles and saw approving nods and a proud smirk from Raph. He pushed his fist forward, prompting a fist bump from the newest student. All she had done was land one blow, but it made her feel empowered in a way she'd never felt before.

"Well done my students," Splinter praised with a pleased smiled. "Noelle, I was truthfully a little worried about you holding back, but I am glad you gave it your all. April, you blocked exceptionally well. You are improving each and every day."

Both of the sweaty and heavy-breathing girls respectively bowed their heads in appreciation. "Thank you Sensei."

"Noelle, it is April's turn to attack you. Block her as much as you can. Begin."

The two girls bowed to each other and began their fight. Noelle tried to remember how April had poised her body, but after a couple stinging slaps against her arms she decided to not think about it and just naturally defend herself. She attentively studied the red head's hand and arm movements to get an idea of where the next blow would come from. Sensing a movement on the right, she quickly raised her staff and bounced off the strike, this time finding satisfaction in the emphatic sound of the wood coming in contact with each other. Mikey cheered, filling her with more certainty in her movements. April did manage to land a hit a few more times, but a majority of the attacks were pushed back.

"Enough! Step away from each other."

Following his instructions, the young ninjas broke all contact, heavily panting and dripping with perspiration.

"Noelle, you are to strike April once more. Begin."

Although her arms and legs ached considerably, Noelle prepared herself to attack again. The lessons were repeated about five times, each session more difficult than the one before due to exhaustion and fatigue settling in. Their movements were beginning to turn sluggish, regardless of how much effort Noelle put into each strike or block. She nearly collapsed on the floor in relief when Splinter finally announced that they were done for the day and could go clean up. Once more the girls bowed to their master before proceeding to commend each other.

"Dude, you guys are amazing!" Mikey exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around both girls and pulled them in for a crushing hug. They giggled and Noelle felt herself flushing from the contact once again, as it was still something she was unfamiliar with. She appreciated the gesture though, and managed to muster up a gentle pat on his hand to show her gratitude towards his support.

"I've gotta say Noelle, I'm impressed. It's like you became a whole new person," Leo sincerely complimented.

Raph smirked and crossed his arms. "Yeah! Where did that side of you even come from?"

Donnie cleared his throat. "Adrenaline can metamorphose people's personalities into one of contradictory traits-"

"Blah blah blah," the red-masked terrapin interrupted, not in the mood to listen to another one his brother's obnoxious and lengthy rants. "Point is, she kicked butt."

"Y-you think so?" Noelle's cheeks darkened at the compliment, unsure of how to even respond to such praise. "Th-thank you."

"Noelle, after you refresh yourself, might I have a moment of your time?" Splinter requested from his spot in front of the hefty tree. He didn't appear troubled or upset, so she put the thought of possibly being lectured or scolded out of her mind.

"Of course, Sensei. I will hurry." Noelle bowed and began walking out of the room, almost jumping out of her skin when she saw Casey leaning against the sliding screen's entrance with a hockey mask pulled over his hair and hockey sticks protruding out from somewhere on his back.

"I've gotta say Blondie, I'm impressed. You and Red are almost as good as Casey Jones."

April snorted and nudged the hockey player aside. "Yeah right. You know I could take you on anytime."

"Blondie?" Noelle rubbed her lower forearm, rather taken back by the sudden nickname.

Casey grinned and placed both hands over his hips, seemingly proud of himself for the idea. "Well yeah. April is Red because of her hair, so you'll be Blondie because of yours. I like to give my female friends nicknames."

She supposed that made sense, and even found the term a little endearing, as she'd never actually had a nickname before. She wasn't sure if she should feel flattered by his choice, but welcomed the friendly term nonetheless. "What do you call Irma then?"

He physically cringed. "Uh...Ew-rma?"

"Oh. I see. Pardon me then." She passed by him, Mikey chortling as he witnessed Noelle trying not to burst out into laughter. When she disappeared around the corner and into the restroom, Leo cleared his throat and drew everybody else's attention.

"Okay guys, we're going to be patrolling the streets again to make sure there aren't any Kraang still looking for Noelle. Mikey, go with Raph and patrol the east side of the area. I'll patrol the west, and Donnie and Casey can control the North. We'll meet back here in about two hours and escort both of the girls home. Any questions?"

"Yeah, can we stop and get pizza? My poor little stomach is going to implode!" Mikey whined, his hands protectively covering the area of his plastron concealing his stomach.

Leo shrugged. "I guess so. I'll text April and have her call it in so it'll be ready to go by the time we pick it up. Now, let's move out!"

The boys pumped their fists in the air and armed themselves before they took off running towards the tunnels. Splinter waved them off, even though they didn't turn back and see him, and then seated himself in front of the tree to initiate meditation, chuckling softly at his children's energy.

"Kids."

**[][][]**

April had fortunately been smart enough to leave a supply of soap, shampoo, and conditioner for showering after training sessions. She generously shared all three with Noelle, who immediately felt ten times better now that she had fully freshened up and wiped away all the sweat. Hot shower water had been a pleasure she'd originally taken for granted, unaware of just how much of a comfort it could be on her sore muscles. She shared small talk with April, listening through the thick stall walls as the red head told of how often she'd fallen or returned home with bruises because of how clumsy she was when she first began her fighting lessons. She reassured Noelle that things would eventually get easier with practice, and the blonde had no problem believing her.

When Noelle stepped out of the shower to dry herself off, she was completely shocked at all the bruises emerging from her ivory flesh. Most of them were meager, not at all an alarming size, as April had done her best to hold back and not completely hurt her friend. Even though they stung a bit when touched, she couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. In her mind, they were like temporary battle scars that symbolized the process she'd made that day, and she was rather relieved that not a single one was visible on her lower arms, otherwise questions would be asked and she simply didn't have the audacity to provide answers.

True to her word, Noelle finished changing and immediately went to seek out Master Splinter. She found him in sort of meditative pose in front of the alluring tree she'd come to cherish. He didn't so much as flinch when she entered the room and slid the door shut as quietly as possible behind her. For a moment she just awkwardly watched him, unsure if it would be wise for her to disturb him in such a peaceful moment. Fortunately, he finally opened his eyes and stared up at her as if he had been aware of her presence the entire time.

"Please, sit."

She seated herself right in front of him, attempting to anticipate what he wished to speak to her about.

"I am proud of you." He watched her gaze at him curiously before he continued. "I know you were frightened to stand before us all and display your abilities, so I commend you for finding the courage to do so."

Noelle stared down at her lap, still feeling a little ashamed of her earlier hesitance. "I...I was scared. Everybody was watching me so closely, and I had no strength."

"What awakened your determination?"

She jade orbs gradually lifted up. "April gave me encouragement. She made me feel better, and reminded me that she went through the same thing once. I realized just how important this all is, how I really need to step up if I ever want to find my mom." Her smile faded as her lips sadly turned down, her heart aching at the absence of her mother.

Splinter leaned forward and gently tilted her head up. "My child, what you are going through is not easy, especially for somebody as young as you. I still hurt over the loss of my daughter, but I will not give up on bringing her home. You are much braver than you believe, which is why I think I will allow you to choose a weapon."

Noelle's mouth dropped open in shock. "I-I mean, do you think I'm already ready? Are you certain, sir?"

"Oh, you are more than ready. You demonstrated great abilities today, and I saw deep passion in your eyes. If I thought you could not handle such a responsibility, then I would not be offering you this decision so quickly."

She bowed her head, humbled that he had already entrusted her with something so serious. "Sensei, I know that this isn't to be taken lightly. I promise to do my very best and make you proud."

"My child, you will do wonderfully. Now, let us go see what weapon works well for you." Splinter stood up and walked to a nearby wall, which he slid open to reveal what Noelle assumed was the armory. She peeked around his frame and curiously eyed all the weapons, marveling at all the different shapes and wondering if her master would perhaps allow her an opportunity to sketch out some of them.

"What are you thinking about?"

Noelle apprehensively glimpsed up at the rat before her vision was once more drawn back to the unique and unfamiliar objects. "I like the shapes, and the way light shines so differently along all of them. The shadows are interesting too."

"Ah, a different perspective about weapons is rather refreshing. You truly have a gift." He stepped back and waved a hand over the impressive collection. "Please, choose one."

She nonchalantly walked into the room, carefully examining each and every blade, spike, stick, and chain. This decision was immensely important, and she wouldn't allow herself to be weakened in a serious fight because of a misguided choice. They were all so captivating to look at, but if she was going to choose then she needed to narrow down her choices immediately. She mentally crossed off all weapons that would be too heavy or difficult for her to handle, along with the ones that matched anything the turtles used. She needed something that wouldn't be heavy, but could still cause a lot of damage when used properly. According to her reptilian friends, the Kraang strolled around in robotic suits, which meant she needed some sort of blunt object that could damage metal.

As if sensing her dilemma, Splinter entered the compartment and picked up something that Noelle hadn't even considered. "What do you think about this one?" He turned around and displayed the object so she could properly analyze it.

The weapon was of decent length, and wooden with a curved handle on the side and string wrapped around the bottom of the handle. She did like its shape, but she wasn't entirely sure if it would be strong enough to actually damage the Kraang. To mention such a thing sounded rude to her, as if it wasn't good enough for her to use, and she most certainly didn't want to get off that impression.

Before she could so much as utter a polite word, Splinter pulled the top off and revealed a blade. "This is made of iron," he explained while gesturing at the tip and down to the handle. "It is called a Jitte, which is the main weapon the Japanese police force used. Like Raphael's Sais, the curve of the handle can be used to trap Katana blades and break them. It does quite a lot of damage." He extended it out to Noelle, who carefully took it, and was pleased that it wasn't at all heavy.

"You should swing it around to see if you like how it feels," he advised with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

Noelle nodded, trying not to feel embarrassed as she took his advice and swung the weapon around. What amazed her, though, was how natural everything felt. The Jitte was like a paintbrush, and the air her canvas as she waved it around, wondering how she could possibly wield it in battle. She supposed that after some training she'd be more than able to defend herself and push down her opponents. Fighting wasn't something she was keen on, but if it meant saving her mother than she would do what was necessary, regardless of how frightened she was.

"It feels perfect Sensei. Thank you." Noelle smiled and sheathed the weapon, handing it back to her master before he shook his head and pushed it back towards her.

"No child. Take it. Practice with it at home," the rat kindly advised. "Just be careful with it, and avoid drawing it out in public unless you absolutely have to."

"I understand." And she truly did, for she couldn't imagine how her father or the rest of New York would react to her suddenly drawing out a weapon in the middle of a street. "I...I guess it will just take me some getting used to. "

"It can feel almost like too much power at times, but to hear you think such a thing relieves me, for I know you will use it responsibly."

Her eyes skimmed down to the foreign object in her hands, wanting to embrace it and yet throw it away at the same time. To have something that could hurt somebody almost made her feel sick, but she promised herself that she wouldn't ever use it to harm somebody unless it was in defense, although even then she would have to step up and not shy away from the thought of hurting another.

As if reading her thoughts, Splinter lay a claw on the blonde's petite shoulders. She gazed up at him, emerald orbs coated in guilt over hesitance at using such a marvelous gift. "I was also once wary of brandishing something that could hurt others, but I quickly learned that just because you hesitate to strike, does not mean the enemy will as well. To show compassion, even towards your enemies, can be noble, but not when you run the risk of being killed. You will understand when the chance presents itself, but until then, go home and practice. We will meet again tomorrow."

Reassured that even such an expert fighter like Splinter could at one point feel disdain over using a weapon greatly eased her worries. Although Noelle had never experienced the pleasure of observing the fatherly rat take place in a battle, she could only assume that he was highly skilled in combat based on how long he had been fighting and training his sons. She bowed her head once more and exited the dojo, her finger tips gently caressing the handle and enjoying the smooth wooden texture beneath her skin.

Splinter watched this spectacle with a smile, for he knew she would do just fine.

**[][][]**

"Man, why is tonight so boring? I wish something exciting would happen for once," Casey complained as he paced across the roof with his hockey stick balanced across his shoulders, his arms draped over the ligneous object. "Do you guys seriously think the Kraang are going to come back after we took them out last night?"

Donnie shrugged from his perched spot, eyes lazily drifting over to Noelle's old apartment complex before refocusing on the T-Phone cupped in his hands. The two of them had been stationed in the same area for a little over an hour, occasionally looking around to make sure the robotic aliens hadn't shown up. Unfortunately, Casey was impatient and craving a fight while Donnie tried to ignore the fact that he was stuck being partners with the hockey player. Although the two of them had recently started getting along, he still couldn't help harboring feelings of resentment towards the guy who also seemed interested in April, which often led to an uncomfortable atmosphere. Still, he did respect the teen boy for using unusual resources to fight, along with sticking with the turtles and not harshly judging them due to their appearances. Clearly he and Raph had grown to be really good friends, and he was able to keep April safe during the day when the terrapin could not, so differences were usually pushed aside in order to work together.

"I can't see us being here too much longer," Donnie answered. "At least, I hope not. I still have some tests I want to run on a potential new weapon for the Shell Raiser."

Casey spun around on his heel with piqued interest. "Dude, for real? What'll it do?"

The lanky reptile's face lit up as he began to explain just what additions would be given to the vehicle. "Well you see-" His sentence was interrupted by his phone ringing and Leo's picture lighting up the screen. Wasting no time at all, Donnie answered. "Yes?"

_"Nothing is going on tonight. You can go ahead and head back. I'm going to do one more sweep of the area before returning. I'll meet you guys later."_

"Be careful Leo."

_"I will."_

"Time to head back," Donnie announced. "Leo will meet us later."

Casey grinned and followed the terrapin over to the roof's edge as they prepared their descent into the alley, anxious to return and see just what kind of weapon his genius friend was working on. "Sounds good to me, bro."

A pair of eyes cloaked in shadow witnessed the reptile and masked vigilante abandoning their post and disappearing into the sewers below, curious as to what had the turtles so on guard. Apparently Leo would be searching around one more time, which gave her the perfect opportunity to corner the pesky leader and ask questions.

The nimble girl ventured out of her hiding spot and briskly vaulted over to the next row of buildings, amber orbs scouring across various structures for any hint of green. She finally spotted her target positioned on top of the Fortune Cookie factory, seemingly on lookout for something in particular before he ascended over the nearest architecture and repeated the process. She decided to chance a run in the street before leaping onto a fire escape and finally coming face-to-face with the only person she could ever really view as a friend.

"Karai?"

Taking pleasure in the shocked expression on his face, Karai's ruby lips tilted up into a mischievous smile. "Hello Leo. Miss me?"

The oldest turtle really didn't want to fight her, but he would draw his weapons in an instant if he had to. Although he admired her strength and found her to be an attractive and formidable opponent, he still wouldn't hesitate to strike if she presented him a reason to, and the way she was slyly smirking at him immediately made him wary. "What do you want?"

Shredder's adopted daughter crossed her arms and feigned mock hurt. "Is that any way to speak to an old friend?"

"Spit it out Karai."

Pleased that he wasn't wasting any time, she straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, it's nothing too important. I'm honestly just bored and interested in what you guys are doing. "

Relieved that she didn't seem to want to fight him, Leo sighed. "It's really none of your business."

Truthfully, she'd expected that sort of answer from him. Karai enjoyed how challenging he was, which had immediately drawn her attention towards him when they first met. "If you're worried that I'll tell Shredder, don't be. He didn't listen to me the last time I warned him about the Kraang, and this time wouldn't be any different."

The blue-masked terrapin skeptically eyed her. She sounded sincere, and while she was a good actor and adept at tricking others with cunning words, he could tell that she wasn't lying. She appeared genuinely interested, and since her life was at stake he figured he could at least share something with her that might bring her onto his side, even it was temporary.

"Fine, but what I'm about to tell you is extremely important and needs to be taken seriously."

It had to be if he was telling her so easily. Karai nodded and heeded his words. "Fine. I'm listening."

Leo straightened up and took a deep breath. "My brothers and I recently found a girl about our age near here being attacked by the Kraang. She's about our age, and lives with only her mom, who just so happens to be a famous Science-Fiction author. Anyways, the Kraang kidnapped her, and we took our new friend back to our place to keep her safe and get more information. Turns out the Kraang is planning to use her mom to destroy Earth."

Karai's throat grew dry as her stomach twisted around in fear. The story seemed completely ridiculous and unbelievable, but after all the events that had recently happened in New York she was ready to believe just about anything. "So what are you guys planning?" she managed to ask, keeping her voice as steady as possible.

He sighed. "To be honest, I'm not sure. The Kraang have been showing up around her place, so we've been trying to get rid of them and keep them off her trail. She's living with somebody else now, so hopefully that'll throw them off, but we still don't have a clue as to much how much time we have, or even where they're located. Our main goal right now is to figure out where their headquarters are. Once we do that, we'll have a good chance at finding her mom."

Karai usually avoided working with the turtles, but when it came to her or her father's life being on the line she would do whatever it took. Besides, they had proved to be a great asset to have as allies. "I'll have to hide this from the Shredder somehow, but I'll keep an eye out for the Kraang," she decided, once again finding amusement in Leo's shocked expression. "We'll find a place to meet so we can keep each other updated. If Shredder does ask, I'll make up some lie. Even if I told him the truth he would just get angry and tell me to focus on finding Splinter. I mean, doesn't he realize more important things are happeneing?" Her voice had risen as frustration settled in.

Leo kept his mouth shut, not wanting to start an argument with her when she had volunteered to help. She was still refusing to accept Splinter's words that he was her real father as she continued living under the lie that Shredder had woven about the murder of her mother. He nodded instead and held out his hand. "Do I have your word?"

She slipped her hand into his and they firmly shook. "It's a deal."

**[][][]**

As promised, Noelle and April sat in the den and assisted each other with homework. Usually the red head would be irritated over the boys leaving her behind in the lair, especially because she was trying to prove to them that she wasn't just some burden who needed protection all the time, but she had an essay due and she'd already used up too much time studying for a math test. Even though her fighting skills weren't anywhere close to being on the same level as the brothers, she had improved a great deal from when she first started and wanted to get in as much practice as possible. Training in the dojo was completely different from experiencing a fight first-hand, which was why she encouraged her sparring partner to not hold back. So far, the only one who had no problem giving her bruises was Raph, but only because he knew that mercy wouldn't toughen somebody up. He always apologized afterwards, and she defended him when Donnie yelled at him. She appreciated the fact that Donnie was concerned about her, but he needed to understand she wasn't some fragile little flower who couldn't take care of herself.

"So, you like your new weapon?" she suddenly asked the blonde, resting her fingers from the nonstop typing on her keyboard.

Noelle lowered her pencil, grateful for a moment away from numbers and equations. April had definitely helped in demonstrating how certain problems were solved, but that didn't mean she wasn't still feeling confused over finding solutions to _x_ or _y_. "I suppose so. It feels...right, I think. I admit I'm a bit worried on using it though."

"That's understandable. Mine is a a Tessen fan, so I really needed to improve my aim when I first started using it." To demonstrate, April reached into her back pocket and pulled it out, basking in the pride she felt when she opened it. "It's an iron fan, and I guess this was supposed to be for Miwa, but Sensei gave it to me instead."

Noelle once more felt pity towards the man who had lost his wife and daughter. "Oh, she's Splinter's little girl, right? His story makes me so sad."

The red head closed the fan back up and secured it in its original place. "I feel bad for him too. Shredder is such a jerk."

"Yoo-hoo! We're back!"

Their conversation was interrupted by Mikey bouncing into the den with a huge grin on his face and two pizza boxes balanced on his hand, the others trailing right behind him. "No baddies near your place tonight! Coast is clear!"

Noelle's shoulders slumped down as she sighed in relief, grateful that the strange creatures weren't as intent on finding her. Hopefully they had also stayed away from her grandma, who she already missed a great deal and definitely needed to call within the next few days. "Thank you all once again. This means so much to me."

The freckled turtle slumped on the floor next to her, appearing thoroughly pleased with himself. "Girl, I told you we've gotcha! You've got nothin' to worry about." He opened the first box and exhaled the steaming scent with a blissful look.

April scanned her friends, raising a brow when she noticed their leader missing. "Where's Leo?"

"Fearless said he'll be back in a few. He's just double-checking the area," Raph answered as he sat on the bench. "Fine with me. I was bored anyways."

Casey collapsed next to him with a disappointed huff. "I feel ya, dude. Man, I would love to get in a fight right now."

The two of them stared at each other before they both broke out into a grin. In a mere instant they hurdled off their seat and tackled each other in the middle of the floor. April rolled her eyes at their wrestling match and snapped her laptop shut. "Well, I guess I'll head home for the night. Wanna come with, D?"

The tallest turtle was about to head to his lab to enjoy a slice while finishing some experiments, but instantaneously halted at her invitation. He beamed and immediately advanced over to her side, his cheeks stained pink and dinner forgotten on the floor. "Ab-absolutely! You ready now?"

"Sure am! See you guys tomorrow!" April waved, and together her and Donnie disappeared into the tunnels.

Mikey tauntingly waved a slice around in front of Noelle's face. "I know you want oneeee."

The blonde giggled and took the slice away after thanking him. They enjoyed their meal, Mikey occasionally bursting into laughter over Raph and Casey's fighting. Apparently it was something they did all the time, so Noelle tried not to worry about it. Eventually she finished and decided to go home before her dad grew worried.

"I suppose I should leave," Noelle mentioned as she packed her belongings away. She bit her lower lip and looked at Mikey, who appeared far too invested in his meal for her to disturb. "I-I'll see you tomorrow?"

The youngest brother discarded his unfinished food, sprung to his feet and shook his head. "You're not going home alone dude! I'll take ya!"

Eased by his willingness to join her, she accepted his offer with a smile. "Thank you so much." She wanted to add in that he didn't have to if it was an inconvenience, but going by his cheerful attitude that didn't seem to be the case at all. He announced to the others that he would be back, but Raph and Casey only grunted in response before delivering punches to each other.

"Pfft, kids. Am I right?" Mikey gently elbowed her in the side, and Noelle giggled.


	11. My World

_**Merry Christmas and happy holidays! Thank you all so much for being patient with me. I was too focused on completing projects for a class that I didn't really have the time I needed to work on this. If I ever take a little longer than a month to update the story then please don't worry about me not finishing it because I can promise you that I will. I'm already too invested in this story to stop, and I'm hoping to get a picture of Noelle uploaded onto Deviantart soon. Thanks guys! **_

**Chapter 11: My World**

"Tomorrow will be the field trip for the Metropolitan Museum. If you haven't already turned in your permission slips, then you may still do so at the meeting location. Feel free to either take the bus from in front of the school, or arrive at the museum on your own. Either way, we will all be meeting there around nine, and the bus takes off from here at eight-thirty. You will be allowed to bring one guest, and the total cost is twenty dollars." Ms. Miller took her place at the front of the room with a thin pile of white sheets in her hands and banged the edges of them on her desk to straighten them out. "Now, who still needs the slip?

Noelle felt excited over the club trip, as she hadn't recently been given the opportunity to visit the museum. The last time she'd went had to have been about three or four years ago with her grandma, and ever since then she had been captivated by the building that contained a wondrous world of imagination. She had spent so much time analyzing each painting and sculpture that the museum had closed before she could fully see everything. It had been a real treat, and to go back again would be amazing.

She bashfully raised her hand, embarrassed that she seemed to be the only one who still needed the paper. She could only assume that everybody else had received theirs during Wednesday's meeting when she'd been absent.

Miller's thin heels audibly clicked across the floor as she sauntered over to her reserved student, rather surprised over the slight smile the blonde donned. Noelle seemed much happier than she'd been on Monday, or within the past few weeks even, and although the aged teacher was a bit curious over the sudden mood change, she was pleased as well. Truthfully, she'd been worried about her star pupil and what could possibly be going on in her life, but to see Noelle so elated over the field trip was a relief.

The young artist gratefully took the ivory sheet and beamed up at her teacher. "Thank you. I will hopefully see you tomorrow."

"Glad to hear it. Will you be bringing somebody with you?"

At this, the blonde's face fell a little, and Ms. Miller felt a twinge of guilt for bringing an apparent sore subject up. "I'm not sure. I will have to see."

"It doesn't matter if you do or don't," the instructor reassured. "All that matters is that you enjoy yourself, and I know you will."

"Thank you." Noelle watched her teacher walk away to resume speaking before she turned her attention back to the permission slip, contemplating on what she could do. Of course, she could always suggest the idea to her new friends when she visited the lair later, but she doubted any of them would want to go, and by them she meant April or Casey. Splinter and the turtles wouldn't be able to just step into the public light without being harassed unless some serious disguising took place, and even then she figured the only one who would actually show interest would be Splinter. She wondered if April would be willing to join her, as she couldn't see the vigilante hockey player being remotely excited by paintings or carved marble.

With a sigh, she tucked the sheet away and decided to just focus on whatever task Ms. Miller was assigning the group. The idea of walking through the museum alone might have once appealed to her as a way to study the past masters and get a feel for whatever was on display, but after suddenly gaining the friendship of seven amazing people, the thought seemed really lonely somehow.

**[][][]**

Raph was the one who escorted Noelle that day, claiming that Mikey had to attend extra training because he'd been goofing around too much during their morning exercises. "I just don't get him sometimes," the red-masked terrapin grumbled. "He's really skilled when it comes to fighting, but he doesn't take things as seriously as he should."

Noelle hummed in thought as they strolled through the murky tunnels. "I think that perhaps he just wants to have fun in life." Upon noticing Raph's raised brow, she timidly turned her attention to the soiled ground beneath her feet. "I-I just mean that he sees things differently, and in a way I do too. He's just a positive person who enjoys laughing and making others smile, and I can respect that."

"You learned all that just from knowing him a few days?" The brawny turtle genuinely sounded impressed, causing the blonde to blush and bashfully glance at him. "I've gotta say, my little brother was right about you."

That definitely caught her attention. "O-oh? What do you mean?"

"He told me you were the nicest person he knew, and I've gotta agree with him. You're okay in my book, Noelle." He gently punched her in the arm, catching her off guard.

She rubbed her limb, wondering if this was just something the boys with each other. Even though she didn't really consider herself to be the "nicest"person, it felt good to be thought of in such a way, especially by somebody she'd grown really fond of.

They finally made it to the lair, which was empty save for Leo once again glued to the television as he attentively watched Space Heroes. April and Casey wouldn't be arriving until a little later, as Irma's nagging had finally gotten to them and they decided to indulge her in going out to eat at some new gluten free restaurant. Noelle could only assume that Donnie was once again in his lab, and that Mikey was probably still training in the dojo.

"We're back Fearless," Raph dully announced before seating himself on the bench and picking up a nearby magazine that had been laid open. He licked his thumb and casually flipped a page.

"Noelle!" Mikey suddenly burst out of the dojo upon their return, bounding straight over to the blonde with an elated expression. "Dude, I didn't know you got a weapon! I wanna see!"

On that note, Leo immediately turned his attention away from the TV, and even Raph put down his magazine as they joined Mikey to get a better look. "That's awesome! Can you show it to us?"

Noelle pulled the Jitte out of her gym bag and lifted the handle out so they could view the blade at a better angle. She wondered if Splinter had mentioned it to the boys earlier, and she once more felt a flutter of pride in her chest at being able to show it off. She figured the brothers wouldn't be impressed due to having already had weapons for a while, but she was still ecstatic over having received such a beautiful gift.

"A Jitte huh? Nice choice!" Leo complimented as he examined the blade and handle. "It suits you."

"Why do you think that?" she curiously asked.

"The weight and length are just right, and it'll do considerable damage during a fight," Raph explained, agreeing with his brother for once.

Mikey leaned closer and poked the blade, grinning as he did so. "It's like a giant pencil or something, which totally works for you since you're into art stuff."

"Boys, please give Noelle some space. She has just arrived and perhaps would like to go change for her lesson." Splinter descended down the dojo's steps, smiling compassionately at his newest pupil.

She was just about to head over to the restroom when she suddenly remembered the permission slip. "Sensei, I have a field trip tomorrow to the Metropolitan Museum that starts around nine. I'm not sure what time morning training is, but I was wondering if perhaps I could stop by in the evening for my lesson, if it's not too much trouble, that is."

"No trouble at all. In fact, you may enjoy a day off tomorrow and resume training again on Sunday, if you would like."

Noelle was tempted to accept his offer, but she knew she couldn't really take a break if she wanted to save her mom. She knew from the moment she started that she'd be training hard, and she would keep true to that decision. "Thank you, but I think I would still like to have my lesson."

Splinter nodded. "I admire your dedication, young one. Now, will you be attending this trip alone?"

Noelle tried not to feel embarrassed by the question, as she didn't want to inform them that she'd probably be going by herself since five of her friends wouldn't be able to go to the surface, and the other two more than likely wouldn't have an interest. "Well, I-I am allowed to bring one guest-"

"Me! Me! Ooh me!" Mikey wildly waved his hand around like a child in class wanting to be called on. "I'll go!"

"Michelangelo, you cannot. Others would judge you and trouble could ensue. You know this."

Noelle watched her friend's face fall in disappointment, and she herself couldn't help feeling a bit discouraged over him not going with her, even though she had already known he probably wouldn't have been able to in the first place. She looked at her skin color, and then his before a crazy idea suddenly popped up in her head. "I could paint him."

The turtles and Splinter merely blinked at her in disbelief. "What are you implying?" the fatherly rat inquired as he stroked his beard.

She tried not to feel disconcerted under their stares. "Well, Halloween is coming up this month, so there is already face makeup available at several stores. I know I'm not a makeup artist, but I think I could still make his skin look like mine, and maybe even give him some gloves so he has five fingers instead of three. There is also clay available to I could easily put on his face to give him more humanly features."

"Sensei! I wanna go! Please!" Mikey stared up at his father with enormous blue eyes and his lower lip trembling. He had such an effective puppy-dog face that not even Splinter could ignore it. The rat considered what Noelle was suggesting carefully before he sighed..

"Very well, but you must behave," Splinter warned, his words practically drowned out by Mikey's squealing. "And don't touch _anything_."

"Booyakasha! This is gonna be so awesome!"

Noelle's heart jubilantly fluttered at the thought of actually having a friend with her in a place that she considered to be special. She was so thrilled that she didn't even feel unsettled when Mikey hopped over to her and pulled her into a side hug, prompting them both to jubilantly laugh. Leo observed the whole scene with interest, rather envious that his brother would be able to venture to the surface during the day. At the same time, he couldn't help simpering over how happy his little brother was, and the fact that Noelle was in high spirits instead of distraught like she'd been only a few days ago. He shared a knowing glance with Raph, who nodded to confirm that he share the same thoughts.

Regardless of the fact that the brothers hadn't known Noelle for even a week, she had unknowingly made her way into all their hearts, just like April.

**[][][]**

Noelle once more trained with the redhead that evening. The two girls repeated the exercises from the prior night, followed by stretches that left the blonde feeling more flexible than she thought possible. She was proud of herself for landing several hits against her partner and defending a majority of the returned blows, which Splinter heartily praised.

"You are both doing very well. Tomorrow night, we will be focusing on meditation. That is all." The girls bowed to their Sensei and prepared to leave the room, exhausted and reeking of perspiration. "Noelle, if your father approves, then you may stay the night. In fact, you are welcome to stay over anytime you wish, just like April."

Noelle beamed over his offer. She had enjoyed staying the night, and was flattered that the modest family already trusted her enough to allow her to sleep over whenever she wished. The idea was compelling, especially since both her and Mikey had to get up early the next day in order for her to have time to apply the paint and get him ready. First though, she needed to gather clean clothes, have her father sign the permission slip, and then purchase some supplies.

"Thank you Sensei. I really appreciate the offer. I'm going to stop home first and then get some materials, if that's okay."

"I'll go with you," April offered with a smile. "That is, if you're okay with it."

Noelle cheerfully nodded, welcoming the company.

"Be careful girls."

"We will Sensei!"

**[][][]**

The two female teens quickly showered before they left, and informed the boys of their plan. Mikey, of course, was beyond thrilled with his friends staying over. He'd vehemently declared that the "slumber party" was on, and rapidly bolted over to the kitchen to prepare snacks for later. The girls chuckled at his enthusiasm before venturing into the sewers and back up into the streets. Noelle led April to her dad's house and knocked on the front door, her cheeks darkening over the fact that they had to stand outside to be let in.

"I'm really sorry about this. I forgot to remind dad that I need a key still."

April shook her head, not appearing the least bit bothered. "I don't mind, but it is kinda strange you don't have one already."

"I'm not over enough to really need one," Noelle explained. Sensing that the topic was uncomfortable, the red head dropped it.

Felix finally opened the door, wearing baggy pajamas and appearing tired as usual. "Hey there- oh". He glanced down with surprise at the unfamiliar teenager with his daughter.

"I'm April and I go to school with Noelle. It's nice to meet you sir."

"Oh, uh, nice to meet you too," Felix returned the greeting and stepped to the side so both girls could enter. He wasn't used to having company, and to see his daughter with somebody was odd as well. He had never met any of her friends, so he could only assume that she didn't have many or simply wasn't interested in spending time with others. "Hey kiddo, I made your key."

Noelle paused in the middle of ascending up the stairs and quickly descended down the steps to accept it, pleased that she finally had her own for when he left. "Thanks dad. Oh, and April and I are spending the night at a friend's house tonight. Is that okay?"

Once again, he was taken aback by how unusually cheerful she was. In the past she'd always shown up with a forced smile and remained quiet most of the time, usually focusing on an art piece while she left him to his work. He had to admit that it was nice seeing her happy, even though he didn't completely understand what was going on.

"I don't see why not."

"Thank you! And also, would you mind signing this? I have money I can use." She pulled out the folded permission slip and handed it to him, feeling like she perhaps might be annoying for asking so many things of him at once. Luckily, he merely scanned over the sheet and nodded before he disappeared into his study, only to reappear moments later with the paper signed and money in his other hand.

"This should cover both the entrance fee and lunch. Have fun."

"Dad-"

"Hunny, please take it. Seriously. I make more than enough to take care of both of us."

Noelle sighed and took the forty bucks he held out to her, appreciating the kind gesture but rather uncomfortable with accepting it. "Thanks dad." She smiled so she didn't appear ungrateful, and was rewarded with a light pat on the head.

"No problem. Enjoy yourself kiddo." He disappeared back into his office, and the two girls proceeded back up the stairs.

"He seems nice," April encouraged, trying to lighten the awkward atmosphere.

"Oh, uh, he is. To be honest, I just don't like accepting money, especially from him since we barely see each other."

"You staying here now might actually be nice then, right? I mean, it could give you guys the chance you need to spend time together."

Noelle closed the door behind them as they entered her room and gently set her gym bag on the floor."It would, but he is leaving on Sunday and I'm not sure when he'll be back. He is always traveling around for his job since he's a well-known graphic designer."

"Oh, I see." April was beginning to put together the pieces as to why Noelle was so awkward around other people, and she assumed that a large part of that was because neither of her parents paid attention to her. It was sad, and made her thankful that her own dad had always showered her with affection. She sat on Noelle's bed and patiently waited for the girl to pack. Her eyes were suddenly drawn towards a particular painting on the wall, her heart melting at the hand prints and names. "Oh, that's so cute!"

Noelle tucked away her pajamas and followed the red head's trail of sight. She blushed upon realizing what the Kunoich was focusing on, and what it could possibly be implying. "Oh, w-well, I mean..."

April stood up and walked closer so she could inspect the canvas, her lips spreading into a smile. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. You wouldn't believe how often Donnie and I are teased because of how much time we spend together."

"You do?"

"Yeah, and although it bugged me at first I grew to not care about it anymore because he's my best friend and there's nothing wrong with that."

Noelle heeded her friend's words carefully. She hadn't known Mikey too long, but he'd easily become her closest friend. He was enthusiastic, good-natured, fun, and brought the world into a new perspective for her. He was the first one to truly make her laugh, and she would never forget it. "I think Mikey might be my best friend too, but I'm not sure if he thinks of me the same way."

April snorted. "He totally does. Trust me, you guys definitely have the same bond as me and Donnie."

It was a relief to Noelle to know that her and the youngest turtle apparently had such a strong friendship that even April noticed. She lost her blush but felt lighthearted at the realization, hoping that maybe she would be able to learn more about the freckled terrapin as time went on. She wondered if Donnie and April did like each other, not just because of how close they were, but by the way they sometimes looked at each other, especially Donnie. He usually had an amorous expression on his face when he noticed April, and he always offered to walk her home. Of course, it could just be her imagination and she knew better than to just assume, but the thought was still very sweet.

The girls changed the subject to school, discussing upcoming projects and study dates before Noelle had finished packing for the night. Before leaving, Felix wished both girls a good night and promised his daughter he would see her the next night. Noelle thanked him once more for the money, promised to have her phone on in case, and then followed the other teenager back into the street so they could find all they needed to disguise Mikey. A nearby Halloween store had just opened up and offered a variety of paints in multiple colors. The girls picked the one they thought best, and also stopped at Noelle's favorite art store before returning to the lair. April had texted Casey earlier about borrowing clothes, and luckily he had some to spare. He informed them that he and Raph would be heading to his place real quick to get some stuff, and would meet them later.

"So you think it'll work?" April asked as she carried one of the plastic bags. "The whole disguise, I mean. It's a really clever idea, and I'm not doubting you. I'm just genuinely curious. If it doesn't, then I can go with you."

Part of Noelle felt guilty for dismissing the idea of inviting the red head so quickly. "I'm sorry for not asking you; I just thought you wouldn't be interested."

"Well, to be honest, I've never been into art museums. I mean, they have some cool stuff in there, but I'm not drawn to it like you. I'm honestly more of a science girl, so if I could somehow bring Donnie to one of the science museums with me I totally would."

"I understand." Noelle sighed in relief for not having hurt April's feelings. "I think there is a high chance that I could make Mikey pass as a human, but I've never done it before so I'm kind of nervous."

"Nah, you'll be fine. Trust me."

Although she doubted April knew for sure that everything would work out, it was still nice knowing that somebody believed in her so much.

**[][][]**

"So what movies do you guys wanna watch?" Mikey jovially inquired as he pursued the girls to their bedroom.

"Not horror!" Leo yelled out from his spot at the pinball machine. "He gets nightmares!"

"I do not!" the freckled reptile defended, only to receive a pat on the head from April.

"You actually do. Remember how we watched that movie about the girl who climbed out of the well and you wouldn't look at the TV for a week?"

His lime-green skin seemed to pale at the thought. "But she crawled out of the TV! That would scare anybody!"

"Okay, well what about the guy who was staying in a huge house and was investigating the murder of children while seeing a woman walking around in all black?"

"She was terrifying!"

April crossed her arms and smiled smugly. "Point made."

Noelle giggled at the teasing and unpacked her things, looking forward to actually watching movies with some friends. She wasn't a huge fan of the horror genre either, nor action movies, but she was a guest and would enjoy whatever film they picked.

"Oooh! Can we watch the one about a traveling hobbit and his dwarf friends?"

April seemed pleased by the idea. "Sure thing. Noelle?"

"I like that one," the blonde admitted, rather pleased with the choice. "I don't usually watch a lot of movies, but I've actually been wanting to watch this since it first came out."

Mikey practically skipped out of the room. "Girl, you're gonna love it!"

Somehow, she didn't doubt she would.

**[][][]**

The lair echoed with snoring as the credits rolled. The only ones who remained awake were Leo, Mikey and Noelle. Everybody else had fallen asleep either halfway through the film or towards the end. Chunks of buttered popcorn were scattered in little clusters across the floor, along with empty pop cans and crinkled bags of chips. Donnie and April were slumped against each other on the bench while Casey was curled up on a beanbag with Raph laying face down on the bench adjacent to his brother and the red head. Noelle's bottom ached a bit from sitting on the floor the entire time, but Mikey had sat beside her and made all the scenes interesting with his delighted gasps and humorous commentary that had them both covering their mouths to conceal their laughter. Leo usually stayed up for all the films to make sure his brothers went back to their rooms, but he decided that allowing them to stay in the living room that night was fine.

Besides, it would be a hilarious picture to take in the morning.

"That was so awesome!" Mikey audibly whispered, his eyes sparkling in awe. "Man, I wanna be an elf so bad!"

"I actually liked the main hobbit and his swordsmanship. Probably one of the most epic movies I've ever seen," Leo added on, trying to keep his voice low even though he was bursting with excitement.

Noelle smiled at the teenage boys. She was glad that they seemed to enjoy fantasy as much as she did. "I love the music; it was very captivating."

The two hummed their agreement before Leo put the DVD away and switched the TV off. "Well, we better all go to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night."

"Goodnight," they murmured in unison before Mikey proceeded to escort Noelle to her room. The lair was exceedingly dark at night, and not having any windows to shine moonlight in didn't help. Luckily, the young turtle seemed adept at navigating his home in bleak obscurity, so they were able to arrive at the room in no time. She switched the light on inside, slightly wincing as the illumination assaulted her vision.

"Dude, I am totally stoked for tomorrow!" Mikey fell backwards onto her bed with his arms spread out and a grin across his lips. "It's gonna be fun!"

Noelle giggled at his display before she sat next to him and pulled her knees up to her chest. Luckily, she was already in her pajamas, so she didn't have to worry about asking him to leave just so she could change. "I'm glad, but may I ask why you want to go so badly? To the museum, I mean."

Mikey turned his head over so he could face her better. " 'Cause your world seems cool."

She was rather puzzled, and supposed that it had something to do with the fact that he couldn't really venture onto the surface. "Oh, because you want to see it during the day instead of just night?"

He shook his head and sprang into a cross-legged sitting position. "Nah. I want to see _your_ world, ya know, like what you see when it comes to painting and stuff. You make it so pretty that I want to see what the rest of it looks like."

Noelle suddenly smiled in understanding as his complicated wording suddenly blended perfectly together: he wanted her to show him the beauty she found in art. "I'll do my best then. If you want to see it bad enough, then it'll appear."

"I totally want to see it! This is gonna be awesome!" She laughed before suggesting they turn in soon, as they both needed to get up early the next morning. He bounded out of her room like an excited puppy and waved enthusiastically. She returned the gesture and closed her door, simpering over what the next day could possibly hold in store.

**[][][]**

Her alarm went off around seven, disrupting the reticent atmosphere of the compartment. She groggily silenced the mechanism and switched the lamp on, revealing that she was still desolate in the room. Poor April had probably spent the entire night on the couch, but at least she was surrounded by the others.

Noelle had just finished getting dressed when she heard impatient knocking on the door. Before she could so much as yell "come in", it was forced open by a surprisingly alert Mikey. He grinned and burst right in, not even bothering to shut the door behind him.

"Morning! Are you ready?!"

"You clearly are," she mused, and gestured for him to follow her as she grabbed all the materials piled together on her dresser, including the pile of baggy clothes that Casey had snagged from his house. Once they were in the bathroom, she had him sit on the sink counter so she could set up the paint and gather some towels.

"I'm gonna look so awesome! This is great!" Mikey kicked his legs up and down like a hyper child who had eaten far too much sugar, but Noelle was just grateful that he was so interested in going somewhere with her. Once she had covered his upper plastron and carapace with towels, she began the process in an attentive manner.

She started with paint that was about a shade darker than her skin color and proceeded to cover his face with it, adding in darker shades to add depth to his cheeks and chin. He removed his mask, but she was so focused that she didn't bother to examine how he looked without the familiar fabric. She was able to construct a fake nose with polymer clay, adding highlights and little clumps for the nostrils and bridge. Finally she combined pink, brown, and white paint for his lips so it didn't seem like he was wearing lipstick. Mikey carefully put on the pants Casey brought over, which Noelle could only assume belonged to his dad, as the vigilante was quite slim and didn't seem to wear clothes that Mikey's bulky legs could fit into. Old shoes were stretched out with the bottoms cut out in order to fit on his feet, and then the hoodie was carefully slipped over his head.

Trying to keep him from turning around to face the mirror was a challenge in itself. She wanted Mikey to be able to see her progress, but at the same time wished to keep it a surprise so he could take in his new transformation at once. The only other thing she needed to do was slip a hat over his head and position his hands into the gloves to give the illusion that he had five fingers. She painted those as well, along with some nails, knuckles, and even hints of veins to give off the full effect. She stepped back and admired her work.

"Can I see now?!"

"Yes."

He wasted no time in spinning around, and when he did so he nearly fell on the floor. He warily took some steps towards the mirror and touched the glass, his eyes widening in disbelief at the stranger staring back at him. He slowly lifted his new hands up and touched his face, his thumbs sliding across his nose.

"Woahhh...is that me?"

"It is."

"I. Look. Awesome!" He was suddenly bouncing off the walls in total glee at his transformation. "This is the best thing ever! Wait until I tell my bros!" Before he ran out of the room he pulled Noelle into a tight hug, prompting her to bashfully smile at his gratitude. "You're the best!" He grinned and then sprinted out of the restroom as he boisterously laughed in delight. The blonde felt an unbelievable sense of pride at how happy her work had made him. She glanced in the mirror and sighed when she noticed how crimson her face had become. She wondered if there would ever be a day when she didn't blush from physical contact.

All who had fallen asleep in the living room the night before were wide-awake and transfixed on Mikey's complete transformation. Donnie was thoroughly examining his little brother, verbally noting how impressed he was while Casey found amusement in poking the freckled turtle's temporary nose.

"Dude, you look wicked!"

Even Raph couldn't help but walk around his brother in disbelief. "I've gotta say, she did a good job."

"Noelle, he looks fantastic!"

Upon hearing April's exclamation, the group turned to face the young artist, immediately congratulating her on such a successful job. Her cheeks grew heated as she beamed over the compliments. "Thank you."

Splinter announced that breakfast was ready, and everybody gathered together in the dining room. He didn't usually cook, not because he was bad at it, but because Mikey had just taken over the duty one day. However, due to his youngest son's current state, he had taken initiative and done the task himself. It was a simple breakfast of pancakes and bacon, but it was enough to satisfy the group of teenagers.

During the meal, Leo leaned over to Noelle and Mikey and showed them his T-Phone, which had a picture of the snoozing group in the den. Mikey laughed obnoxiously loud, capturing the attention of the others. Noelle didn't laugh, but instead smiled over how close her friends were, like an odd and happy family.

When breakfast was finished, the blonde and freckled terrapin waved bye to the others before vanishing into the rancid tunnels, unaware of how Splinter watched them from behind. A part of him was still nervous over his son being discovered, but he had to trust that the newest addition to their clan would help him out if he needed it.

**[][][]**

The sewers echoed with the familiar drips of water as they briskly walked through the dim corridors in companionable silence, both extremely eager for their day at the museum.

Of course, with Mikey around,a quiet atmosphere didn't last very long.

"So what's the museum like? Is is busy? Are there lots of people there? Is there food?"

She thought back to her last visit. "It's usually pretty busy, and I know there is at least one food court there. As for what it's like-" she smiled fondly, "-you'll experience that when we get there."

"Aww, not even one hint?" He slyly grinned at her.

"Not even one."

She giggled at his mock pout, their stroll ending beneath a rustic iron ladder. Mikey was about to climb up when he was ceased from all movement by a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"It might be a good idea to take the gloves off so they don't get ruined."

Mikey chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, uh, yeah. I guess so. I kinda don't wanna take them off because of how neat they are though. I mean, I've got five fingers! Check out my hands!" He wiggled the false fingers around, causing Noelle to laugh and gently pull them off his hands.

"I promise you can wear them after."

"Girl, you've got yo' self a deal!" He winked and bounded up the ladder, where he lifted the manhole cover and peeked around to make sure nobody was nearby. "Alright, coast is clear!"

At his signal, Noelle carefully climbed up and grabbed his outstretched hand. He pulled her up to the clamorous world before he lowered the lid back down and slipped his gloves back on. The two exchanged smiles before they proceeded to weave in and out around the throngs of people that crowded the sidewalk. Walking to the museum took a little longer than she'd anticipated due to him stopping every five seconds and waving to random strangers, but she didn't mind in the least. He finally had a chance to walk among people without being treated like an outcast, and she wouldn't take that from him.

They eventually arrived at a broad set of stone steps that led up to a colossal building with four sets propped up in front of the exterior walls. Mikey's face split into a toothy grin as he stared up at the towering architecture. He walked up the stairs with Noelle, nearly tripping over his feet as his widened eyes experienced the building's increase in size with every step he took.

They entered into the populous lobby, which also impressed the young turtle."Oh, there's my teacher," the blonde explained to him when the older woman approached, snapping him out of his trance. "Good morning, Ms. Miller." Noelle handed over the money and signed slip, which the art professor took with an approving nod.

"Good morning." Miller peered down the bridge of her nose at the unfamiliar boy who looked like he'd downed a whole pot of coffee judging by the way he couldn't seem to stand still or stop looking around. "I see you've brought a friend today."

"Yes. This is-"

"Michelangelo! Call me Mikey!" The disguised turtle winked. "Just a regular human like you!"

It took all of Noelle's willpower not to cringe.

"That's,um, interesting?" Miller raised a brow and shot Noelle a puzzled look. "...Enjoy your time here." She walked away from the odd pair, wishing she had more caffeine in her system for the day up ahead. She just didn't understand teens nowadays.

Before Noelle could even utter a word she was dragged forward by her eager friend. His fake fingers flopped around as his real digits clasped around her wrist, making it seem like his palm was somehow pulling her. "Sweet! Where do we go first?!"

The blonde managed to mildly yank back a little so Mikey slowed down, an impatient pout on his face. "We go upstairs. There are three floors above us, and each floor has multiple galleries. You shouldn't run around though, or the security might kick us out." She kindly smiled and pointed to the closest set of stairs. "Lets go."

Mikey grinned, and together they made their way through the early stream of museum-goers. They ascended up the marble steps carefully before finally reaching the next floor. The freckled teen came to a stop when he stepped onto the floor, his eyes enlarging in disbelief.

"Woah..."

**[Once Upon a Time-Jiminy Cricket]**

Truthfully, Mikey hadn't really known what to expect of the museum. The closest he'd ever gotten to seeing what one actually looked like were through drawings in his comic books, and it had seemed really boring in that aspect. The way Noelle's face lit up whenever she talked about art had made him curious, so he asked her to take him so he could experience the excitement as well.

And boy was he surprised.

The walls were positively covered with paintings of all sizes, and in the middle of the room were multiple statues that captured his attention. There was just so much to see that he wasn't sure where to look first, and in a way it was overwhelming. As if in a trance, he stepped forward and gradually inched his way over to the nearest wall to get a better look at one of the paintings.

Noelle positively beamed at his reaction, pleased that he didn't seem at all bored like she thought he might be. She walked over to stand by his side, smiling and staring up at the work with him. It was a picture of a woman wearing a black dress and distantly staring off towards her left side while her right hand gently gripped the edge of a circular wooden table. Brunette hair was pinned to the top of her head, and her ivory skin seemed to practically glow against the auburn background.

"Portrait of Madame X," Noelle read aloud from the description plate. "It was created by John Singer Sargent in 1885 with oil paints."

"She looks real," he breathed out in complete awe. "Is she really just a painting? Can you paint like this?"

"I wish I could. I've improved a lot since when I first started, but I still have a long ways to go."

"I bet you could, though."

She looked at him, beyond flattered that he thought her to be so skilled, and blushed at the compliment. "I would like to." Her eyes traveled up the canvas, and she remembered that he had requested that she show him "her world". What better time than now?

"Can you see the strokes of paint?"

Mikey's face scrunched up in concentration as he closely focused on the piece. He grinned in triumph when he discovered a brown one along the table's rim, and proudly gestured upwards towards the spot. "There's one!"

Noelle nodded and began pointing out other ones while Mikey watched with fascination. "You can literally see how the paintbrush touched the canvas. We're looking at something through the eyes of the artist, and in a way it helps us understand how he was feeling, what could have possibly been going through his mind at the time."

The terrapin's false brows raised up. "Woahhh. So it's like we're looking into his brain?"

She knew he wasn't trying to be silly, that this was all new for him, and that he actually seemed a little fascinated in what she was trying to show him. "In a way. That's the beauty of art; you can use your imagination to see what you want in somebody else's work, or bring whatever you're feeling or seeing to life."

"That's totally deep." He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked at her with so much incitement she couldn't help smiling. "Show me more!"

**[+]**

The rest of the museum was a giant blur.

Literally.

Mikey had pulled Noelle around, which left little time for her to actually stop and examine any of the paintings or sculptures. He wanted to make sure they were able to see everything in time before the museum closed, which they would easily be able to do at the rate they were going. When they briefly stopped in front of a painting, Mikey would quickly scour the paint for the strokes, happily pointing several out before he declared how the artist must have felt, and then would anxiously wait for Noelle to give her answer. Instead of being disappointed by the lack of time she was able to spend with each object, she found herself enjoying the little game he'd created. It allowed her to actually view the works in a different and unique way, which was rather fun and provided her with a new perspective on the artist's mind.

They eventually stopped at the cafeteria for lunch around noon. Noelle bought Mikey his lunch, which was unsurprisingly pizza. She was amused by the fact that he loved the greasy food so much that he would completely ignore the chance at being able to try something new. She picked out chicken fingers with fries, and together they sat towards the back of the dining room at a small crammed against the wall.

"Man, this place is awesome! I don't get why there's so much naked people though." The reptile slipped his gloves off and proceeded to happily chomp on the cheesy meal. The thought had been on his mind all morning, and was it was starting to really bother him. It was almost awkward for him, but he wasn't disgusted, just curious.

"I felt the same way when I was younger." Noelle bit into a fry before she offered him one, which he jovially accepted. "It was only after some studying that I realized just how beautiful the human body really can be. There is a whole system beneath a layer of skin, and the muscles and bones that bulge out are fascinating. I love the curves and shadows, and how so many bodies are different. Back then, it wasn't uncommon for people to not wear as many clothes, especially among the peasants and commoners."

"All I can say is that I'm glad people don't walk around naked anymore. The last thing I need to see is Casey's butt."

Noelle nearly choked on her chicken.

**[][][]**

The day at the museum was nearly over except for one wing that Noelle insisted they visit last. Mikey didn't really get why, but he listened to her anyways and avoided the room like it was a trap. When they finally entered, her eyes glazed over with an emotion that the orange-banded turtle couldn't really come up with, nor did he understand why.

"Mikey, I want to show you something." Her voice came out in a whisper, but Mikey walked over to her, wondering what she wanted him to see. She had stopped in front of a painting of what appeared to be an old man floating above a valley while being attacked by demons. In a way it was gruesome to view, but hypnotizing at the same time.

**[Buffy the Vampire Slayer-Kissed to Life]**

"You are named after the man who created this."

Mikey's breath caught in his throat as he wordlessly gaped up at the painting, wondering how somebody he was named after could create something so terrifying. When he looked at Noelle, he saw her staring at the picture like it was the most beautiful thing in the world, and he suddenly realized that the look she had in her eyes was passion, and a deep respect for somebody she looked up to. He might not fully understand art, but he did understand what having respect for somebody was like. He really looked up to his brothers and Sensei, so he kinda got how she felt.

"This was his first painting," she continued as her gaze shifted over to him. "I know it seems like a disturbing picture, but I've learned to mostly focus on the elements that are a part of it. I have so much admiration for him and his work." She took a deep breath and beamed up at the image. "I don't think I could ever paint like him, nor do I want to, but I would like to have enough potential to bring my mind to life just like him. I think it would be neat if somebody admired my work one day the way his is by millions of people."

Mikey suddenly felt a strong sense of pride for being named after somebody she respected this much. Michelangelo had always just been a name to him, but now he realized it was more than that; it was like an honor.

"I'll be one of those people." His words were sincere and lacking their usual teasing tone. Noelle didn't look at him, but her whole face lit up, and her eyes sparkled. "I know it will happen. You're too awesome for it not to happen to you."

Her heart pounded as a wave of happiness washed over her, filling her with an indescribable feeling that she'd never felt before. His words gave her confidence in a way nobody else had, and so she said the only thing she could think of.

"Thank you Mikey. I hope so."

**[+]**

**Side note: The painting is not at the museum all year; in fact, the last time it made its way to New York was in 2009, but I felt it was important to include as a stepping stone in Mikey and Noelle's relationship.**


	12. Two Different Worlds

_**Hello everybody, and happy New Year! I hope you enjoy! **_

**Chapter 12:Two Different Worlds of Beauty**

By the time Noelle and Mikey had finally left the museum the sun was beginning its descent. The streets were still overflowing with people trying to enjoy their Saturday afternoon, so the pair decided to sneak into the closest inconspicuous tunnel in order to avoid a lengthy journey home. Noelle's feet ached from walking and standing all day so she was a little fatigued, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

So many memories had been created during the field trip. From sharing a lunch in the cafeteria to the sense of accomplishment she felt in showing Mikey just how fascinating museums were, the day had really been a fun and fulfilling one one. However, she wasn't sure if she should've felt embarrassed or not from almost having an emotional moment in front of a painting. Mikey hadn't appeared confused by her brief minute of enthrallment, but he was also a kind person who did his best to make others feel good about themselves. Something told her that the grin he currently donned wasn't forced, nor were his earlier words of encouragement towards her skills as an artist. Regardless of that though, Noelle still couldn't help wondering if he truly had had a decent time or not. It wasn't that she doubted her friend, but it would take a while for her to not feel insecure about people spending time with her, especially when it came to activities that she enjoyed doing.

"Dude, why do you look so serious? Do you have to go to the bathroom or something?"

Noelle's face flushed red at the embarrassing question, not realizing that she'd made such a strange expression. "Oh, I'm sorry. No I don't." She cleared her throat to try and get rid of the uncomfortable air enshrouding her. "I was just wondering if...if you really enjoyed yourself?"

"Oh, has that been bugging you?" Mikey tilted his head to the side, puzzled as to why she seemed to have convinced herself that he hadn't liked being at the museum with her. He hadn't felt anywhere near bored during their little outing, nor did he think he'd come off as uninterested in what Noelle had shown him. "That place was awesome! Why would I be bored?"

She was instantly filled with relief. "It's just that a lot of people find museums to be dull, and honestly, I get really nervous while admiring art because I feel like I'll be seen as weird or strange."

"Nah. Girl, you worry too much!" He playfully hip-bumped her, and any other worries she had were immediately dissipated.

**[][][]**

"Meditation has been practiced for hundreds of years, and for good reason. It is a great aid in calming the mind, body, and spirit, which is why I taught it to my sons, and why I will now bestow its method upon you."

Noelle gazed up from her spot on the tatami floor, listening intently to every word Splinter spoke. She was the only in the room with him, as the others had already trained earlier and were currently preparing to do patrol while Mikey tried to remove all the paint and clay off of him. From what she could hear he was whining about washing the disguise off, which initiated an aggravated sigh from the fatherly rat.

"Now, sit with your legs crossed and your back straight so that the energy can move more freely through you." Splinter sat across from her and demonstrated the technique, which she carefully followed. "Your eyes must be half way open and focusing down the center of your nose while your shoulders are leveled and elbows bent slightly away from your sides." Once again, Noelle mimicked his movements. "Gather all your thoughts, and then focus on your breathing. When you breath out, your are removing negativity, and breathing in brings positive energy. It is a method to cleanse your thoughts and-"

"Alright guys! The Mikeynator is back! Booyakasha!"

Splinter stiffened and stood up. "Pardon me." He advanced towards the room's entrance and slid the wall open to face his sons. "I think a week without television for disturbing meditation sounds fair, does it not?"

The boys gasped in unison before they hurriedly sprinted out of the lair.

"Sorry Sensei!" Mikey yelled before he disappeared into the tunnels with his brothers, followed by a yelp of pain as Raph swatted his head.

"Please accept my apologies." Noelle watched her Sensei take his seat once more and resume his form, an amused expression on his face. When he saw the worry on his pupil's, he chuckled. "I would not actually ground them for something so little, but it is a nice threat when I want them to leave."

**[Water for Elephants- Sanctuary]**

Noelle relaxed and even smiled over her master's humor. She relaxed her muscles and straightened her posture like before, inhaling a deep breath as she ensnared all her thoughts and lowered her lids.

_Dad is leaving tomorrow. Mikey is a good friend. I love museums. Michelangelo is such an inspiring artist. What if I lose my friends one day? I miss mom. What if mom isn't okay? _

Her brows furrowed and moisture gathered across her eyes. "I don't know if I'm doing it right, Sensei."

"It is not unusual for one to feel sad or angry while organizing their thoughts. You have nothing to be embarrassed about, my child. What we are about to do will ease the ache in your heart. Now, breath out everything that is hurting or upsetting you."

_Everybody thinks I'm strange. I've been lonely for so long. My friends might get tired of me, and then I will be alone again. I just want my mom back. Why is dad leaving me again? I feel like nobody likes me. I'm an outcast. I can't do anything right. Do my parents even love me? What if I'm a burden? What if I can't rescue mom?_

As she breathed out, a tear slid down her ivory cheek, but her lower lip didn't tremble, nor did she tremble with emotion.

"Now breath in what makes you feel happy and at peace."

_Walking through a forest. Central Park. Painting. A world of magic. Flying. Stars. Lights. Being friends with Mikey. Eating lunch with April and Casey._

"And repeat."

_I feel sorry for myself too much. What if my skills don't improve? I'm so clumsy that I would do more harm than good. The turtles must think I'm a bother._

_I like laughing with Mikey. Splinter has a lot of faith in me. People love my paintings. Drawing makes me happy._

For nearly five minutes straight she duplicated the process, her body growing even more relaxed with each breath. By the end, all her pessimistic thoughts had vanished, and a smile had unknowingly made its way onto her face. The tear trail had long since dried, and Noelle felt more at ease than she ever had prior to the experience.

"You may now stop." Splinters voice was almost a whisper as he drew her back from her near trance-like state. "How do you feel?"

Noelle gazed up at him, her eyes almost filled with disbelief. "I feel...light, almost like I could fly."

"Very good." He smiled at her fondly and reached over to place a hand on her shoulder. "I am proud of you, my child. Not even Leonardo was able to accomplish what you have as quickly, but he also has not been through as many hardships."

The way he beamed at her like a pleased father made Noelle feel accomplished, like she could do anything she set her mind to. She was filled with a new sense of determination, and somehow felt stronger than before. She exchanged a smile with him. "Thank you Sensei. That means a lot to me."

"You are very welcome. I look forward to our next session. We will start again on Monday."

**[+]**

**[][][]**

Noelle walked herself home that night, her Jitte hidden in her gym bag just in case. After paying close attention the last few days, she'd started to get an idea of the sewer system and which street each numbered wall led to. She didn't feel safe enough to walk through the streets alone at night yet, so she stayed underground for as long as she could, trying not to jump at each little noise she heard. Oddly enough, the drips of water leaking through pipes encouraged her to relax and think.

The meditation really had helped, but it didn't take away the fact that her dad would be leaving the next morning, and she would be stuck inside the house by herself for awhile. She supposed she could at least paint or do something to take the boredom and loneliness away, but a little part of her selfishly hoped that maybe Mikey or April would drop by and keep her company. Of course, she couldn't really expect them to do that, so she would simply have to hope for the best and enjoy her time the best she could.

She at last came to her exit and carefully climbed up the ladder. Lifting the heavy cover up was challenging, but with a forceful shove she managed to slide it over to the side and climb out. She cautiously glanced around and then pushed the cover back over. Noelle ambled to her dad's front door and unlocked it with her new key before shutting it firmly behind her.

"I'm home dad," she called out, hoping he hadn't fallen asleep yet. The hour wasn't late, but sometimes he would randomly doze off in front of his laptop after going long periods of time without rest. A creak in the hallway drew her attention.

"Hey kiddo. Did you have fun?" Felix yawned as he entered the living room to greet her. He had coffee stains on his white wrinkled shirt, and his black sweat pants were almost rolled up to his ankles, showing that he'd had another day of numerous cups of coffee.

Noelle tried not to wince at the sight as he approached, wondering to herself when the last time he had a bath was. "I did, thank you. Are you excited for your trip tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "I've been to California before, so I'm not looking forward to it as much as I used to. I guess it'll be nice to be away when it starts getting cold here though."

"That's true. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time." Noelle smiled, unsure whether she was trying to convince him or herself. "Do you need help packing?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'll just say goodbye to you now so you don't have to wake up early tomorrow."

"I don't mind getting up early."

"Don't worry about it. I'll just do it now so you can sleep in."

Her heart sunk when he stepped forward and briefly rubbed her head before backing off. "Be good kiddo. I'll see you in about two weeks."

"Goodbye dad. Be safe." She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice and off her face when he left her once more standing by herself. When she heard his door close she headed upstairs and unpacked her bags before she showered and finally crawled into bed, all the while wondering why he didn't hug her or at least seem remotely sad about being away from her. Then again, she usually only saw him once or twice a month, so maybe he didn't think much of it.

Noelle lay with the comforter pulled over her head and damp hair pressed into her pillow. She tried to ignore the disappointment she felt over being dismissed so easily as she tried to drift off to sleep. A vibration on her bedside table had her yanking off the blanket and reaching for her phone, her face lighting up when she saw that she didn't have a text, but was in fact receiving a phone call from Mikey. She excitedly answered the phone with a smile.

"Hello?"

_"Noelle! What's up, girl?_"

She quietly chuckled. "I'm not sure. You called me."

_"Well yeahhh, but I still wanted to ask how you were. Here here, I'll go first. I'm spiffy and- oh wow! I just found some paint on my armpit! How did it even get there? Dude, that's so weird!"_

Noelle bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from loudly laughing and alerting her dad. "That is certainly strange."

_"I know, right?! Sooooo...whatcha' doin' tomorrow?"_

It was almost spooky how he seemed to sense her thoughts. "Well, dad is leaving, so I'll be by myself for a couple weeks. Honestly, I don't know what I'll be doing." The corners of her mouth drooped slightly.

_"That's great! We can hang out and eat pizza and play video games!" _

Her frown reversed into a smile when another idea popped into her head. "You can also bring that comic book over so I can redraw it for you, if you want."

His breath hitched. _"Really?! Dude, that would be so cool! Yes!"_

_"I'm happy for you Mikey, but would you please get out of my lab before **you ruin something?!**"_

_"Don't worry D! I won't-whoops."_

She visibly winced at the sound of glass breaking.

**_"ARE YOU KIDDING ME MIKEY?! SERIOUSLY?!"_**

_"Uh...I gotta go! See you tomorrow!"_

As soon as he hung up Noelle settled down to sleep, laughing to herself over how silly he was, and how the next day didn't seem as lonely anymore.

**[][][]**

_"Here's money for food and whatever else you need while I'm gone. Be good kiddo."_

$200 lay out on the dining room table on top of a note with barely legible handwriting. A part of Noelle had hoped he would have woken her up anyways to properly say goodbye, but he was unsurprisingly already gone by the time she'd roused herself from a deep sleep. She shook her head at the amount of money he left, and decided she would at least use it to go grocery shopping so he had some some food when he returned home, plus she could always buy frozen pizza for her and Mikey.

Her spirits lifted up when she thought of hanging out with him later, and decided that maybe she would try and tidy the house up before he came over. She quickly ate a package of pop tarts before she changed into a baggy shirt with sweat pants and proceeded to begin the cleansing process. Unfortunately, all she could manage to find were a couple rags, a broom, a vacuum cleaner, and some Windex all crammed into a narrow closet in the hallway. She sighed and decided to stop what she was doing so she could run to the store really quick and purchase what she needed.

About an hour later she returned with a mop, a bucket, dish soap, fabric softener, wood-cleaner, vinegar, Barkeep's Friend, bleach, and a cart full of groceries. She brought all the bags up one-by-one and put everything away before she resumed the cleaning process.

The house floors were swept, vacuumed, and mopped. She used vinegar and water to remove mold off the bathroom tiles while running a load of laundry, and then she wiped down all mirrors and emptied every trash bin. She scrubbed the toilet, thoroughly washed dishes, and polished everything wooden that she could find. By that time, she'd folded one load of laundry and was in the middle of folding another one when her phone suddenly buzzed. She wiped the beads of sweat off her forehead and glanced at the text.

_hi! be over soon. bringing sum gamez! : D_

Noelle smiled at how excited he seemed.

_Okay. I will leave my window open for you. I might be in the shower when you arrive, so make yourself at home. : )_

Satisfied with how much cleaner the house was, she quickly showered and put on a pair of jeans, a deep violet shirt, and her black sweater. She then blow-dried her hair and pulled two blonde strands away from her face so she could tie them back into her usual hair style. When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, her ears were met with the sounds of upbeat music and Mikey audibly humming along She dropped her towel into the hamper and descended down the stairs to see the teenage turtle playing some racing game on her dad's TV. She walked up behind him and watched in amusement as he crossed the finish line and threw a fist up triumphantly.

"Booyakasha! I win again!"

"Good job!"

He glanced up at her with a victorious grin and patted the floor space next to him. She sat down and crossed her legs while he jovially stared at her. "Thanks! So, what should we do first?"

Noelle was not the kind of person who made plans with other people, so she wasn't sure what to suggest without sounding bossy or selfish. What if she offered up an idea and he rejected it? Judging by the way he was looking at her though, anything she said he would approve of, so she carefully considered her options before settling down on one.

"Well, I could draw the cover while watching you play games if you'd like."

"Sweet! I totally brought it!" Mikey reached over to a knapsack he'd taken with him and pulled out the comic. He gleefully handed it to her, which she took with a kind nod before she went upstairs to grab some of her art supplies and returned down to her spot.

"Would you like to sit on one of the chairs or couch instead?" she offered, not wanting to seem rude and have him sit on the ground. "How about something to drink?"

"Nah, I'm good! I also already grabbed somethin'." He gestured towards an open can of orange Crush soda, and she smiled over his discovery of the drink she'd bought for him. She remembered from her first time staying over how he'd offered her the beverage, which she'd been too upset to indulge in at the time. This time, she drank one with him. She wasn't a big pop drinker, but she knew he would appreciate the gesture. He looked at her approvingly and gave a thumbs up when she reentered the room with a cold one in her hand and plopped herself down onto the couch.

He resumed his game, which she watched with interest while working on the drawing. She used what she gathered from his appearance to sketch him on the paper, including muscles, shell pattern, and different-colored spots scattered across his skin. Once she was satisfied with the rough drawing, she inked and then used Prismacolor markers to add in color and shading. Mikey was almost begging to look by the time she was finished, so Noelle revealed the completed piece to him and felt her heart pound with pride when his eyes widened in disbelief before he slowly took the drawing from her hands.

"This-this is so awesome! Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" She simpered at how similar his behavior was to when he first saw his disguise. Like before, he pulled her into a hug, no longer worrying over whether he was scaring her or not. "This is seriously the best! You're the greatest, Noelle!"

She shyly returned the embrace, blushing over his compliments and how pleased he was. "You're welcome," she murmured into his shoulder while trying to conceal her crimson cheeks.

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing video games, which Noelle discovered she definitely wasn't the best yet. Mikey won every single time, but instead of rubbing his victories in her face he encouraged her and showed her little shortcuts she could take. By the time their little session was over, they'd indulged in frozen stuffed crust pizza, two cans of pop, and she had managed to work from dead-last to almost third place.

"So, what do you like to do for fun besides paint?" Mikey asked as he hung upside down on the couch after a rather impressively sated burp.

Noelle had seated herself on one of the armchairs, her fingers absentmindedly trailing across the leather. "I sometimes go to Central Park after school or on the weekends. I like being out in nature and away from the city, especially when I draw." She dreamily gazed ahead when images of water and tall trees penetrated her mind. "I found this hidden spot that I like to go to, and it's right next to the small waterfall. It's really peaceful and pretty."

Mikey watched her talk, unable to stop the smirk coming to his face when he saw how happy the place made her. His lips widened even more when an idea abruptly came to him. "Wanna go?"

Her eyes slid over to him, hope blossoming in her chest. "I...Are you sure?"

"Of course!" He rolled off the couch and stood up to extend his hand out to her. "For real, let's go!"

Noelle slid her hand into his and allowed him to pull her up, her face glowing with happiness. "Okay, I'm with you."

**[][][]**

It was evening when the two exited out of a tunnel in the park, which meant most people had already left to go home. Usually Noelle was cautious about being in the park at night, but with Mikey next to her she felt perfectly safe, plus she'd brought a satchel along to conceal her weapon in. He pulled her into the shadows so they would easily blend in and not be spotted by any night guards while she led him in the direction she wanted to go.

"This way," she whispered, and he obediently followed her, humming enthusiastically under his breath. They ended up across from an ample fountain in front of a group of huddled trees, which Noelle signaled for him to enter. They ducked under branches until they were pushed out into an open space that was concealed from the public eye. They walked in companionable silence, the audible sound of running water growing louder with every step taken.

"We're almost there," she informed him, barely able to contain the excitement in her voice. Mikey smiled at her and glanced around, taking in the sight of towering trees looming over them and creating a sort of roof with their mingling branches.

**[Castaway-Opening Titles]**

The pair emerged from the clearing and ended up next to a modest waterfall beside a stone bridge. Little lanterns were lit, giving the arched platform almost a magical glow. Noelle closed her eyes as she walked onto the overpass, the cool evening air gently lifting loose strands off her back and shoulder. She sat down on the edge so her legs dangled over the running river, suppressing the chill that ran up her spine.

"Wowwww," Mikey breathed out as he joined her and sat down, eyes wide with wonder as he gradually took in the sight before them.

Above the neighboring emerald trees he could distinctly view the city's rangy buildings, all erected and radiating like pillars of light as the stars dimly twinkled overhead. The moon hovered nearby, bathing a portion of the sky in an almost glow as it hovered above the metropolis like a guardian. Mikey wasn't exactly the best when it came to using descriptive words, but he knew that if Donnie were around, not even he would be able to form a sentence to truly depict what they were seeing.

Noelle tilted her head up, her eyelids still lowered and the corners of her lips slightly turned up. " You should close your eyes and listen carefully; it's really neat."

The terrapin raised a brow, but did as she recommended. Being a ninja heightened all of the senses, which meant his hearing skills were sharp and could pick up on sounds rather quickly. The water and late night chatter of birds and crickets were obviously the most audible, but in the distance he could make out cars honking, and even a ferry boat signalling its arrival.

"Woah, this is super neat!" He opened his eyes and stared at her with a grin. "Is that why you come here?"

"Yes," Noelle quietly responded before she opened her eyes and beamed at the sight in front of them.

"Hey, so, do you think we could bring my brothers next time? I think they'd really like it here, and then we could all hang out for a bit and it would just be super cool!" Mikey had a feeling she probably wouldn't care, especially if she shared her secret with him, but he still didn't want to be uncool and seem like he was taking over her spot without asking.

She contently smiled and leaned back, enjoying the idea of being able to share something precious to her with everybody. "That would be nice. I used to come here when I was younger with my grandma, and we would usually ice skate. Hardly anybody was around, and the ice was actual solid and safe enough for us to stand on, not to mention it was much less crowded than a lot of the other skating rinks out there. That was a long time ago, but it brings back fond memories and was one of the few things that made me happy."

"I know how that goes." They sat in silence and basked in the peaceful atmosphere for a moment before Mikey's face lit up. "Oh sweet! I just remembered that I've kinda got a secret place too!""

Noelle turned towards him at his exclamation in surprise. "You do?"

"Of course! Why don't we go? It's kinda high up, but we'll be fine."

Noelle smiled, wondering what it could possibly be. She didn't mind heights; in fact, she loved them. Still, she couldn't help being curious over where they were going, but forced herself to not ask questions and just be surprised.

**[+]**

**[][][]**

The next opening they climbed out of almost gave Noelle a heart attack.

There were people everywhere, and thanks to all the lights, shadows weren't as plentiful as they were near her area. She knew they were in Time Square based off of the glowing signs advertising Broadway musicals, movies, TV shows, and so on, not to mention the pedestrians and powerful smell of heavily blended scents. Mikey had piggybacked her through the sewers in an agile rush, pausing only once to catch his breath before he continued to run until they reached the destined exit. Now, they were out in the open and at a high risk of been seen.

"What if somebody sees us?" She didn't feel comfortable being out in the open where a Kraang could spot her, or a random person coming across Mikey and freaking out over his unfamiliar appearance. The thought alone caused her stomach to twist into an uncomfortable knot.

**[Thor: The Dark World- Vortex]**

"Don't worry; I do this all the time!" the turtle jauntily reassured her with a laugh before he scaled up the nearest wall and vaulted onto the roof using the structure's window sills. He cantered across the surface and catapulted himself from one building top to the next like he didn't have a care in the world. Noelle kept an eye out to make sure there wasn't anybody around to detect them. Who could possibly see them was beyond her, but she was still feeling rather anxious about being out in the open around so many people.

As if sensing how concerned she was, Mikey paused and playfully bounced her up, snapping Noelle out her inner worries with a little gasp. "Hey, Dr. Sneakinstein will get us both there okay. Dude, I promise we won't get caught." He turned his head so he could smirk at her. "Listen, just close your eyes and then it will be a big surprise. I promise you'll love it!"

She sighed and decided to put her faith in him. After all, if they had managed to remain hidden in the park, then maybe Mikey would keep them safe to where ever they were going. "Okay," she confirmed with a nod, and then lowered her eye lids.

"Sweet, now hang on!"

Noelle gasped as she felt him take off running before he jumped up and once more started climbing up, prompting her to link her hands over his chest while her legs firmly encircled around his waist. She could tell there were a lot of people nearby, but the conversations became a faded blur of words as he kept escalating up the side of whatever building they were on.

When he suddenly stopped, she grew worried once more. "Are we okay?"

"Yup! We'll be there in a sec!" She felt him pull something out of his belt and raise his arm before she heard a loud zipping sound followed by a faint clank. They were suddenly being pulled up, Mikey cheerfully laughing while Noelle continued holding on for dear life.

At last they arrived at the top of what felt like a building. Noelle carefully climbed off and anxiously waited for him to tell her what to do next. Much to her surprise, she felt him step behind her and place a hand on both of her upper arms, gently guiding her forward. She blindly stepped ahead, trusting him to safely lead her while her cheeks warmed at his close proximity.

"Annnnnddddd...okay!"

His hands remained on her arms as she opened her eyes, thankful for his hold on her when she saw where they were.

All of Time Square was spread out before them with a beautiful display of lights and city life. The two friends were high up in the air, alone and and enshrouded in a mixture of the night sky and city lights. The view was absolutely indescribable.

Mikey gradually lowered his hands once he was certain she wouldn't fall over in shock, pleased with her reaction. "Mikey, this is...wow."

"Pretty neat, right? And look, there's the ball that drops on New Year's Eve!" He pointed up so she could see the famous crystallized sphere that she'd spent sixteen nights of her life waiting to drop. It was absolutely mind numbing to be near something so symbolic.

She licked her lips and swallowed to moisten her dry throat, unable to comprehend what could have possibly motivated him to find such a magical view. "What made you come here?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Well, sometimes I get really bored, and when my brothers don't wanna hang out with me I got and explore sometimes, almost like a big adventure, you know?" Mikey's eyes twinkled. "One day I just climbed up here and liked it so much that I decided to make this my little secret base." He turned to Noelle and beamed at her happily. "So now, it's _our_ secret base, which means we have two of them!"

She giggled and nodded. "Okay, I promise not to tell anybody."

"Yes! This is awesome!" He held out his fist for her to bump, which she cheerfully did.

"It is pretty cool," Noelle agreed. She suddenly inched herself closer to the edge of the building and beamed over the sight she'd been lucky enough to view that night. Mikey stepped up beside her, and they gazed over the metropolis. After about a minute, she felt herself smile as a pleasant thought entered her mind. "Mikey?"

"Yeah?"

"Your world is beautiful too."

**[+]**


	13. Encounter

_You guys are positively saints for being so patient with me. Thank you all so much for your continued support and reviews. I did try to respond to the reviews from last chapter but for some reason Fanfiction just wasn't allowing me to. I'm not sure if anybody else experienced this problem or not, but I am really sorry. If I never reply to you then just assume there is some technical error because you guys know I **always** respond. (Unless you're a guest and I don't really have a way to send you a message! Just know I appreciate your reviews as well!) Thanks once more! Also, fans of Undertale should easily be able to catch a reference in this chapter._

**Chapter 13: Encounter**

Noelle stood on the edge of one of the buildings in China Town, feverishly rubbing her hands together to keep away the late night chill that was seeping through her clothes and into her skin. She'd grabbed a navy blue hoodie earlier to try and stay warm while blending in easier with her surroundings, but it wasn't a helpful factor when it came to warming her thin jean-clad legs. Her stomach churned nervously in anxiety while she took deep breaths to calm her pounding heart, occasionally sharing a smile with Mikey to try and override every apprehensive nerve fluttering around her mind.

Nearly two weeks had passed since Felix departed for his business trip, leaving his daughter desolate in the reticent home. While the two of them usually didn't carry on a conversation or share familial embraces, Noelle did miss her dad's presence. Spending so much time alone after everything that had happened to her and her mother didn't exactly soothe her to sleep every night, so she'd had no choice but to drown her actively comprehensive evening thoughts with boisterous movie scores while producing art or working on homework. Fortunately, April had been more than kind enough to come over and be a study buddy, which proved to be the perfect distraction every time a gloomy thought attempted to corrupt her mentality. The red head had even stayed on a Friday night to keep the blonde company, and they both ended up having a good time engrossing themselves with older animated movies and popcorn.

School and training were also useful diversions, exhausting her both mentally and physically. Noelle practiced meditation every day, and even found herself looking forward to the peaceful exercise. It gave her a serene mind, and made staying alone a tad bit easier. Of course, there had been the couple times when Mikey completely caught her off guard in the middle of her self-reflection, usually causing the human to jump off the ground with a face that matched the color of her hair. The energetic terrapin laughed for a second before sincerely apologizing, and after those incidents he would knock on her window every time he saw her in deep concentration.

Mikey and Noelle had become inseparable. Every day they talked, whether it was in person or through text messages and phone calls. A single day didn't go by without them speaking to each other. He always walked her home after training, unaware of the watchful eyes of his brothers and father. Noelle found herself speaking to him without difficulty, and sometimes would give him little art lessons, usually easy ones that displayed numerous tricks to drawing animals, parts of the human body, and exploring different perspectives. She demonstrated how he could use a variety of simple shapes to form the frames of him and his brother's bodies, along with manipulating the forms into active poses. They seemed to be the happiest when around each other, and their friendship was as close as Donnie and April's. The little fear in the back of her mind that Mikey and his brothers would leave her had diminished greatly, and all she could do was hope that it would eventually disappear one day.

"Hey guys, you see anything yet?" Leo inquired from the opposite end of the building. He had one knee jutted out and the other one straightened as he relaxed a foot on the bulge protruding out of the roof's edge. As soon as they'd arrived he'd immediately taken a look-out stance, keeping a trained eye on the alleys and streets below. The hour was late, so there weren't as many civilians around, but he knew from experience that this was the time criminal activity usually took place.

Mikey lay upside down with his legs pressed against the walls of the building adjoined with theirs and yawned in boredom. "Dude, nothing is _happeninggg_. Why can't we just go home?"

Leo looked over and scoffed when he saw his little brother not taking the situation seriously. "Because we need to make sure the Kraang and Foot Soldiers are off the street. Besides, Sensei wants Noelle to practice patrolling with us so she can get an idea of how to fight our enemies."

The very mention of conflicting with the creatures that kidnapped her mom sent an unpleasant shiver coursing up her spine. Earlier that evening, Splinter had called all of his sons, along with Casey, April, and Noelle into the dojo to inform them of his plan; he wanted Leo and Mikey partnered up with Noelle so she could view how their enemies fought, along with how each of the turtles engaged in combat. For the next week she would patrol with them, constantly switching partners so she would know how to work with each of her allies in battle. He specifically stated that Noelle was to hide if they came across any of their foes, and was to use violence only when necessary. She was given a belt similar to Donnie's, which would secure one weapon to her back so she didn't have to hold the Jitte everywhere she went.

"Looks like we've got some Purple Dragons." Leo alerted his partners as he drew out both Katanas and gestured down with the tip of one of his blades. Noelle and Mikey joined him at his side and studied the small group of four men suspiciously lugging bags into what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse.

The freckled terrapin exasperatedly groaned. "Ugh. Didn't we fight them just a few days ago?"

"Who are the Purple Dragons?" Noelle recognized the name, but she couldn't remember what the group was. All she knew was that sometimes she say their logo graffiti on the side of some buildings.

"They're some dumb gang that think they're cool. My bros and I have kicked their butts so many times that it's just become _super_ lame." Mikey explained in an annoyed huff while pulling out his Nunchucks.

Regardless of how little of a threat he deemed them, Noelle still felt incredibly nervous. She knew that the brothers would be able to handle themselves, but she definitely had no chance. She suddenly appreciated Master Splinter having her go up to the surface, otherwise she would be completely helpless in a battle with little to no knowledge about an actual fight.

"Noelle, Mikey and I are gonna take them on. You stay up here, okay?"

All she could do was silently nod.

"We'll be back. Hold up the fort!?" Mikey playfully nudged her and grinned before he and Leo vaulted off the roof and cantered after the thugs. Noelle sat on the cold surface and tucked her legs into each other while she observed the brothers chasing after the troublesome men and wasting absolutely no time in attacking. The gang members attempted to stab at the reptiles, but with little to no avail. Even from where she sat she could hear the yelling and grunts of the thieves as they were delivered sharp kicks to the sides and blows to the face. The two ninjas didn't hold back in their attacks, even when some extra members ventured out from inside of the disregarded structure to back up their allies.

She suddenly heard a metallic sound behind her that put her in an alert Splinter's lesson on being aware of her surroundings, Noelle drew her Jitte out just in case and scanned her surroundings, pointing the edge of the weapon threateningly in front of her while trying to control her shaking arms. When she couldn't spot anything unusual, she turned back around to focus on the battle below, feeling as if she was safe for the moment.

A blade of silver shot past her face, cleanly slicing off several strands of her hair and barely grazing her cheek. She froze as panic spread through her body.

"So you're their little new friend, huh? I've gotta say, I'm not impressed."

Taking a shaky deep breath, Noelle hesitantly turned her around and was met with a pair of beautiful but threatening golden eyes that belonged to an ivory skinned girl who appeared to be the same age. Judging by the armor, weapons and confident aura she emitted, the unfamiliar girl was entirely familiar with fighting and seemed able to hold her own in a battle.

**[Fire in Brooklyn Theater]**

"The name's Karai. Why don't we play a little game?" Her scarlet lips lifted into a mischievous smile as she pulled out her Naginata. "How about... tag?"

Noelle stiffened when she heard the name, recalling the story Splinter had told her about his daughter being brainwashed by Tang-Shen's killer. A part of her really wanted to try and talk without resorting to violence, but as she cautiously eyed her opponent's weapon she knew that the best thing she could do was find the brothers. She timidly stared at Karai for only a few seconds before she spun around and forced her shaking legs to run.

The female warrior grinned in excitement as she disappeared into the shadows and commenced the chase, giving the blonde only a few extra seconds to gain ground before she pounced. "Now that's more like it!"

Noelle's heart pounded as she darted to the roof's ledge and helplessly looked around for a way down. The only possible way she could safely get off was by jumping the gap between the building she was currently on and the one directly across. Without wasting time, she took few steps back, tucked her weapon away, and scaled towards the other roof with her hand extended so she could grab onto the structure's edge.

She managed to make it, but barely. With a grunt she pulled herself up and stumbled forward as she scampered over to the other side. Relieved at seeing the fire escape, she hurried over and clambered down the steps until she reached the street. She burst ahead towards her friends' direction, only to be stopped by her pursuer.

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

Noelle sprinted over to the right, wondering what she could have possibly done to make such an enemy. Her whole body shuddered as she literally ran for her life, nearly getting hit by a car as she crossed the street, and attempted to hide against the side of a building so she could catch her breath. There was absolutely no way she could outrun Karai, so all she could do was cloak herself in the shadows until the coast was clear.

"Boo."

**[+]**

Before Noelle could scream and take off once again, she was thrown carelessly to the ground. Karai hunched over her and pushed the blade against the side of her neck, analyzing how the blonde trembled with a quivering lower lip while her eyes filled with tears.

It was truly a pitiful display.

"This was too simple, you know. You're lucky I'm not the Kraang." There was almost something empathetic in Karai's voice as she studied the girl beneath her. "I'm trying to prove to you how serious the situation is. You need to stop being so weak and get your butt into gear if you really want to rescue your mom. Not everybody gets that chance."

Noelle gazed up at the other girl, her shaking immediately ceasing over the slightly dismal tone.

"Karai, get off her, man!" Mikey yelled as he charged towards the girl with Leo in tow and Nunchucks spinning above his head.

With an irritated sigh Karai stood up and backed away with her arms crossed her chest. She smirked, clearly unafraid of the two brothers. "Well, it's about time you guys showed up. I was getting pretty bored."

Leo took a defensive stance in front of Noelle while Mikey quickly bent down and placed a hand gently on her shoulder, his eyes worriedly roaming over her to check for injuries. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you? Man, I'm totally going to whoop her butt!"

Noelle leaned against Mikey, relieved that she was safe and able to see her friends again. "I'm fine. Actually, I think she was trying to help me." It was a funny way to look at the situation considering that not even two minutes ago she was running for her life, but Karai seemed to be teaching her a lesson on what actual combat was like, and for that she was appreciative, no matter how terrified she'd been.

Mikey blinked in disbelief. "Help you with what? That didn't look very helpful."

"Actually, she's right," Karai calmly defended, earning a raised brow from Leo. "I was giving her a taste of what she's going up against, and if she can't even handle me then she has no chance against a whole army of Kraang. They may seem like mindless idiots, but I know first-hand just how powerful their technology is, not to mention how dedicated they are to taking over Earth. "

"It doesn't matter what your attentions are," Leo barked. "I thought you would act civilized towards Noelle, not pretend like you're going to kill her!"

"Yeah dude! There was nothing cilivicized about what you just did!"

"Civilized," Noelle politely corrected.

"Yeah, that!"

"Mikey, take Noelle home," Leo ordered without taking his eyes off Karai. "I'll meet you back at the lair later."

"Will do!" Mikey hunched down so Noelle could take her seat on his shell before he escalated up the nearest wall, leaving his older brother and adopted sister alone in a tense atmosphere. The two stared at each other for only a few seconds before Leo's shoulders sagged and he sheathed his weapons.

"Were you actually trying to help her, or were you just being a bully?"

Karai shrugged with a smirk. "What do you think?"

"I think you actually had good intentions but went about things the wrong way. This isn't a game. We've only been training her for about two weeks, so of course she won't be able to beat you right away."

"Okay, then when are you guys planning to actually do something about the Kraang?" she snapped. "With each passing day they get one step closer to achieving domination and killing everybody! We have maybe three months left and that's it unless you actually do something!"

"I get that you're worried, but you have to understand that we need to be careful about all this. We _will _stop them. I promise."

Karai sighed and gazed up at the full moon hovering over the city. Leo followed her trail of vision as frigid breeze whispered across their skin. "I hope you're right, Leonardo."

**[][][]**

Noelle had remained quiet the entire two minutes it took for them to reach her bedroom window. Mikey had hummed cheerfully, permitting a calming atmosphere contrary to the chaos that had just ensued. She waited until they had reached her room before she decided to voice what had been plaguing her mind since they left the alley.

"Mikey, do you think Karai is a good person?"

His cheeks swelled up with air that he gradually let out while thinking of an answer. "Uh, well, I hope so. I don't think she's super bad like Shredder or the Kraang, but she's done some mean things in the past that make me wonder about her. I just feel bad for Leo, ya know?"

Noelle sat cross-legged on her bed and attentively leaned forward with a pillow squished into her lap. "What do you mean?"

"He seriously likes her. He isn't as bad as Donnie is with April, but you can really tell he just wants to hug her sometimes. It's a little weird though, what with her being our sister and all."

"Oh." She suddenly felt bad for Leo as well. She couldn't imagine finding out that the person she liked ended up not only being on the enemy's side, but a sibling as well. "You're not related by blood though, right? Technically, Leo could be with her without things being strange."

"I guess so." Mikey rubbed the back of his head. "Not sure what Sensei would think though."

Noelle smiled softly. "I think that he would be okay with it. He knows what it's like to be in love, so I'm sure he would understand."

"Yeah, maybe." He lay on the bed in front of her with his feet hanging off the edge and eyes focused on the ceiling. "I almost think that being in love might be like being sick, you know? Donnie acts like such a weirdo around April, and sometimes his face looks so red that I think he might have a fever or something. Isn't love supposed to be a good thing?"

"Yeah," she dreamily murmured, trying to imagine what the feeling would be like. "I've never been in love so I'm not sure what it's like, but I bet it's a good feeling."

"Ugh, this love sick stuff is making me feel kinda gross." He blew a raspberry into the air, grinning as Noelle giggled. "Dude, when does your dad come back?"

"In two days, so I'll probably visit my grandma tomorrow. I haven't seen her since the night of the kidnapping." Her smile twisted into a remorseful frown. "I bet she's worried."

"Pfft! I'm sure she's fine!"

**[][][]**

"Oh, I'm glad to see you again! I was so worried!"

Sandra enveloped Noelle into a tight embrace, which only fueled the teen's guilt at having stayed away for so long. "Sorry for just now stopping over, grandma. A lot has happened."

The elderly woman pulled back with a smile and cupped Noelle's cheek. "Nonsense. I'm just glad you seem to be doing okay. Come in."

They stepped into the living room and Sandra closed the door behind them. Nick's house was a lot like Felix's, except he had a garage and extra bathroom. Pictures of her aunt, uncle and cousin were scattered across ivory walls, making the house seem very homey.

"Where is everybody?" Noelle asked when she noticed just how quiet it was. Usually her little cousin would've come in to greet her by now, or her aunt would've offered some sort of snack.

"They've gone out for the day. I was invited to go, but I'd much rather be here with my drawings." Sandra gestured towards the opened sketchbook, which had a detailed bird in the process of flying through a field of flowers. Noelle smiled warmly and picked the book up so she could admire her grandmother's work in better detail.

"You draw these birds a lot. What are they?"

"A black-capped chickadee. Adorable little things that I've seen in parks and in the backyard here. They just melt my heart." The older woman's eye twinkled fondly. "I envy them, to be able to fly and see so much of the world and all the sights it has to offer. Of course, they don't fly too far away, but I bet it's lovely from their height."

Noelle thought of how Mikey had carried her up the tall building so she could see all the lights of the city. It had been a moment she wouldn't forget, or that failed to bring a fond smile to her face.

"Well, you certainly look happier than I've seen you in a long time."

She hadn't put much thought into it, but her grandma was right. She had gone to bed crying so many nights that after a while she didn't really notice anymore. However, ever since she'd met the turtles, April, and Casey, she'd been laughing and smiling more than she had in years.

"I'm sad that mom is still missing, but I am happy I was able to make new friends who are willing to help me find her. It honestly almost seems too good to be true."

"Is there somebody you've grown especially close to?"

Noelle's face lit up, and her cheeks felt warm as she thought about some memories that she and Mikey shared. "His name is Michelangelo, but we call him Mikey for sure. He's a very silly but kind person; he even went to the museum with me! He always makes me laugh and we did a painting together and we also have a secret place that nobody else has gone to and-"

"My goodness!" Sandra chuckled in amusement. "It certainly seems like this Mikey person is very important to you."

The blonde intertwined her fingers together and stared down at them softly, unable to keep the smile off her face. "He's very important to me. He's my best friend. " She said nothing for a moment as pleasant thoughts floated through her head and Sandra watched with a knowing smile. "Oh, I've also made another good friend. Her name is April and we go to school together. She's really skilled at math so she helps me out while I assist her with English. There's also Casey, who is a really funny hockey player. I've seen him skate before and he's amazing at it. There's Donnie, who is extremely smart and..."

Sandra couldn't believe just how much her granddaughter had changed. The usually timid girl in front of her was now talking non-stop, which was quite a welcoming metamorphosis. Something was different about her, as if she'd become stronger and seemed to believe in herself a little more. She was tempted to make sure her new life with Felix was going okay, but she didn't want to interrupt such a flow of cheerful thoughts.

_Hopefully Savannah will be able to witness this soon._

**[][][]**

A couple hours had passed by before Noelle left, feeling jovial and pleased that she'd been able to catch up with her grandma. Even though Sandra hadn't really said anything, it was obvious that she missed her daughter terribly, and it broke Noelle's heart. She needed to find Sandra as soon as possible, but she knew that Karai's earlier words about not being able to handle the Kraang were true, and if she didn't start training more than she'd have no chance at all. The Kraang wouldn't just patiently wait for her to get better; she had to push herself.

Filled with determination, Noelle pulled out her T-Phone and dialed a number, ignoring her nerves in the process. She still had to get used to calling people and talking over the phone, but her anxiety in doing so had significantly decreased.

After two rings the other line was picked up, followed by the sound of a surprised Raph.

"Hello?"

"Oh, uh, hi Raph."

There was an awkward silence. "...Hi? Do you need something?"

She immediately chided herself for making the atmosphere awkward, and forced herself to speak clearly without sounding intimidated. " I was wondering if you could help me. I need to get stronger, and I'll do whatever it takes to do so. I know I'm not the most skilled person but-"

"Say no more. Meet us at your dad's and we'll get started." He hung up, sounding pleased at her request. Something told Noelle that she was about to be in for a rude awakening, but it was too late to back down now.

She briskly cantered towards her temporary home, feeling more hope than ever before. _"Don't worry mom. I'm going to do my best and get you out."_

**[][][]**

"She seems to be settling in okay," Donnie observed as he analyzed Noelle's room, impressed with how organized she was. He'd never viewed her as a sloppy person, but he'd always imagined an artist's space to be cluttered with far too many brushes, along with smears of paint everywhere and pencil shavings scattered across the floor. He definitely hadn't given her the credit she deserved.

"What do we have here?" Raph coyly grinned and poked Mikey on the shell while he gestured at the hand painting on the wall. "Anything you wanna tell us little bro? Seems like you and Noelle have gotten pretty close, huh?"

Instead of getting flustered or embarrassed like his older brother had hoped, Mikey instead placed his hands behind his head and beamed at the artwork. "I mean, isn't it obvious? We're, like, best friends now. Don't be jealous of our masterpiece, bro."

"Jealous?! I'm not jealous!"

"Are too. You need an elevator to get to our level of skill. Ding ding."

"Why you little-"

The bedroom door suddenly swung open and Noelle entered, looking a little surprised when she saw all four turtles in her bedroom. She'd obviously known that Raph would show up, and maybe with Mikey, but to see all four of them was a little unexpected. It wasn't unwelcome, although she did feel a bit worried to see Raph in the process of holding Mikey in a headlock. The two parted, and the freckled terrapin waved at his friend.

"Dude, this is great! We're totally gonna help you kick butt!"

Leo folded his arms with his brows furrowed together. "Noelle, please don't feel like this is something you have to do, and definitely don't push yourself too hard."

"If you feel nauseous or tired let me know. Overworking your body's core muscles can really backfire on you in the future," Donnie advised, making the blonde feel not as certain as she had before. The thought of running or training until she threw up or passed out from exhaustion was not an appealing idea.

"O-okay. I promise, and I'm doing this because I have to if I want any hope of fighting the Kraang."

Raph simpered in encouragement. "That's the spirit! Let's get going!"

Leo sighed, knowing that the whole Karai incident had probably really affected her. All he could do was believe that Noelle wouldn't obsess over the idea to the point where she could hurt herself. As Leader, she would be his responsibility when Splinter wasn't around, so he needed to keep an eye on her. He'd been the same way when April first started training on the surface with them, and she'd proven herself time and time again, so there was a probable chance that Noelle would show the same results.

At least, he hoped.

**[][][]**

When Noelle collapsed on her bed later, she thought she'd never be able to move again.

Two hours of running over alley gaps and climbing the side of buildings like some sort of spider had challenged her body in ways she'd never thought possible. Her fingers ached from gripping bricks, railings, and window sills, and her leg muscles felt like they were burning off. She knew she wasn't in top shape, but she definitely didn't think she was _that_ out of shape!

Raph hadn't been merciless in his encouragement, starting her off with smaller buildings to cross and slim alley spaces to leap over so she would gradually not worry about falling as much. Leo would wait at the top of the building to help her climb up if she needed it or grab onto her after jumped while the brothers waited beneath her in case she fell, which miraculously didn't happen. She had definitely come close a few times when she grabbed onto something that seemed secure but was instead rickety or unstable. She was thankful that the mutant terrapins had called out tips or places she would grab onto when she was stuck, but for the most part she was able to figure it out on her own. Although the training had been a little intense for her, Noelle couldn't deny that she'd really enjoyed herself in the process. She would prefer to be outside over the indoors any day.

When Mikey and the others dropped her off at her house, she almost felt like she would topple over. Donnie opened the window for her while Mikey climbed in and held out an arm for her to grab onto. She'd given a little apologetic smile and seated herself at the edge of her bed.

"You did good today. We'll bump up the difficulty next time," Leo complimented with a proud grin, geeked over the idea of more training.

Noelle tried not to cringe at the thought of exhausting herself again, and instead forced her lips to turn up. "Thank you. I look forward to it."

"Good. Well, we'll see ya later." With that the eldest brother nodded and escalated up the exterior wall and out of sight. Donnie repeated the gestured and trailed after his leader, leaving behind Mikey and Raph. Noelle watched the hot-tempered ninja rub the back of his head with a frown, as if he was utterly perplexed about something.

"So, uh, I'm not complaining or anything, but why did you call me and not Leo? He's the so-called "Fearless" one. "

The blonde teen was confused over why Raph sounded so stumped about her reaching out to him. "Well, because I know how hard you push yourself and that you wouldn't take it easy on me. I need to be stronger."

Mikey seemed thrilled that his best friend was getting along with his brother so well. "Aw! She likes you Raph! That's awesome bro! It's not often that happens!"

"Shutup Mikey," Raph grumbled, but he didn't sound too angry. If anything, he looked a little pleased that she'd recognized just how intensely he worked out and trained, not to mention he'd managed to one-up his brother.

Noelle wasn't sure if she'd said the wrong thing or not, but Raph rubbing her head drove off any self-doubt she had. He smirked at her before he advanced towards the open window. "You did good today, kid. " He exited the room without another word.

"Dude, I'm totally glad you two are getting along! He doesn't like too many people, but he totally wants to be your friend! Girl, you got some charm!" Mikey pulled her into a brisk hug and laughed while she smiled

"I don't know if I have charm, but I'm glad he and I are friends. I like all of your brothers."

"But I'm still your favorite right?" He grinned at her with puppy-dog eyes that absolutely melted her heart.

"Of-of course."

"Darn right! Well, I'll talk to you tomorrow. See ya later, dude!" Mikey held out a fist for her to bump before he also left, allowing her to finally go shower. As soon as she returned to bed, she had barely turned the lights off before she succumbed to a deep sleep.

**[][][]**

Karai stood outside her father's lair, knowing he would want answers as to where she had been the entire day. He knew of her curious nature and previous interactions with the turtles, so his mistrust in her had increased quite a bit, regardless of her saving him when the turtles had betrayed their deal. Lately she'd been confused with her life. Leo absolutely insisted that their mutant rat of a father was in fact her biological dad, and that Shredder was the one who had killed her mother. It was almost an insane thought that completely went against everything she'd been raised to believe, and yet when Leo spoke he sounded so sincere and looked her straight in the eyes to show how genuine his words were. Shredder, of course, disregarded the words as blatant lies, which only continued to make her feel torn and unsure. She told no one of her dilemma, and instead attempted to focus on finding out what the Kraang were up to. They were the bigger threat at the moment, and one that needed to be erased from existence.

"Karai. I know you're out there. Step inside."

She sighed at her father's booming voice, knowing he eventually would have figured out that she was lurking outside his throne room. She took a deep breath, and pushed the vast doors open.

Fishface's head was above the thin stream of water parallel to the corridor's walkway, a toothy and sly grin on his face that made Karai want to rip his fins off. Him and Razhar were excellent at getting under her skin, and took great pleasure in watching the Shredder interrogate her. The slim mutant dog sat loyally in front of his master's throne,appearing just as pleased as Fishface. She shot him an annoyed glare before she looked up to face the menacing figure of the Shredder.

"Father."

"Have you made any progress in your pursuit of the turtles?"

"No."

"What is taking you so long?"

She stood her ground as his deep voice rumbled at her, displeased at her lack of progress. Karai hadn't searched for the turtles' lair in a long time, and knew that one day Shredder would lose patience when she didn't turn up results. "The Kraang are more of an enemy tha-"

"I don't care what you think! I gave you an order and I expect you to follow it!"

"I'm not one of your little soldiers you can boss around!"

"Get out of my sight! Now!"

She spun on her heel and traipsed out of the uncomfortable room with dignity, refusing to give him the benefit of the doubt. She didn't face his two little minions who were probably simpering in pleasure at her lecture, and she definitely didn't look back at her father. She used to think he was the most powerful and intimidating man on the face of the planet, somebody who she could respect and look up to. Now, he was just a scarred and angry man hiding behind a helmet and obsessing over an old enemy and his mutant sons. He didn't care what happened to her or the planet.

Well, if he wasn't going to do something, then she would.

Shredder watched his adopted daughter slam the doors shut, his hands gripping the arms of his throne in an attempt to control his rage. He had asked her to do one thing, and she hadn't so much as tried or acted like she cared. She had reached an age where she was rebelling and doubting his words, and he wouldn't allow it.

"Shall we do anything, Master Shredder?" Razhar growled from the bottom of the steps.

Shredder considered his options carefully. "She is up to something, and I want it stopped. You and Xavier are to keep an eye on her, and report back to me if you find anything out about her and the turtles. Some actions might have to be taken."

The mutant dog's mouth widened, revealing a set of sharp fangs that threateningly glinted in the moonlight. "As you wish."


	14. Midnight

**_ I've been looking forward to this chapter for a long time. I might return and tweak it later, but overall I'm really happy about it. Thanks for being patient and supportive. ^_^_**

**Chapter 14: Midnight**

Noelle smoothly swayed her hips and closed her eyes as she concentrated on the mythical music harmonizing in her ears. She dipped the bristles of her fan brush into a compact glob of blue paint before she lifted it up to the canvas, eyes focused as she glided the brush across the board in little "X" patterns to construct the sky. She wasn't sure what her landscape would turn out as this time, but that was what made painting so exciting and enjoyable to her. An unfamiliar world would be forged before her eyes, and she'd be able to behold another enigmatic place without having to venture out of her room. Of course, the idea of departing from New York City one day and being able to experience all the extraordinary sights Earth had to offer would be a dream come true, but at the moment she was content with just observing forests and oceans on her easel.

A tap on her shoulder caused her to flinch before she fearfully turned around and came face-to-face with her father. Noelle laid a hand over her pounding heart and exhaled in relief, grateful that he had made it back home without being discovered by the Kraang. Master Splinter had taught her to always be alert, something which she clearly needed to work on if she didn't want to be captured by an enemy.

"Welcome home dad," Noelle greeted as she yanked her earbuds out and clicked her iPod off, torn as to whether or not she should hug him. When he made no effort to embrace her, she tucked her hands behind her back and waited for him to speak. She knew she should've known better than to expect him to actually want to make contact with her, but nevertheless the little flame of anticipation inside of her had held on before extinguishing itself.

"Hey kiddo. Glad to see the house is still in one piece," Felix tiredly joked, the edges of his eyes crinkling up in amusement. He appeared slightly more energetic and not as pale as he had before his flight.

"I even cleaned it up for you," she added on with a hint of pride in her voice. She hoped that he would be pleasantly surprised by her taking care of his home so he would have something clean to return to when he returned.

Unfortunately, his response wasn't what she hoped for.

His smile turned down, and Noelle swore she could see sweat appear on his forehead. "Please tell me you didn't touch anything in my room or study. I'll be screwed if you did."

Stung by his accusing tone, the blonde teen lowered her gaze to the floor in bleak disappointment. "No, I didn't."

Felix's shoulders slumped forward in relief. "Thank God. I have a deadline coming up in a few days, not to mention that I'll be flying down to Texas sometime next month for a few new advertising projects."

Her eyes lifted up in shock as her brows furrowed in disbelief.. "Already? You just came back though."

"Well, that's how it is kiddo. Sorry I've gotta take off so soon, but I usually travel out somewhere at least once a month. I prefer meeting face-to-face with my clients, not to mention I work better when I'm not always at home." He stifled a yawn and pushed his spine inward until he heard a satisfying pop, all the while not even bothering to perceive how discouraged his daughter seemed. "Anyways, you'll probably be back home by that time, right?" Felix ruffled Noelle's hair before he roamed away from her room and trudged down the stairs with heavy steps.

Noelle gloomily stared at her canvas while biting her lower lip to prevent it from quivering. So she did what she had done so many times before; she ignored the ache in her heart and painted, all while pretending that everything was right in her world.

**[][][]**

"Great, another dance. Man, these things are always lame," Casey grumbled as he tore a yellow flier off a nearby locker and studied the eerie black font with a look of disgust. "It's not even on a weekend this year. How are we supposed to have fun?"

April rolled her eyes as she, Noelle and Irma strolled along beside him towards the school's entrance. "Nobody is making you go, Jones. Stop complaining."

"Well I, for one, tend to avoid these immense social gatherings when given the chance," Irma stated in a matter-of-fact tone while adjusting her glasses. "The food is mediocre at best, and the music is positively nauseating to listen to."

"Irma, it's really not that bad."

"What about you Blondie? Do ya dig the whole dance thing?"

Noelle thought back to the last time she'd actually attended some sort of school dance, but she couldn't recall ever going to one. When she was a little girl her grandma, aunt and uncle were the ones who usually took out her trick or treating because her parents simply couldn't be bothered to leave their work and take her to some childish party. She was grateful for being allowed to walk around the block and gather candy, but a part of her envied the kids who were able to hang out with each other.

"I've actually never been to one," she admitted. "I think I would actually like to go though. It might be fun."

"Trust me, you're not missing anything," Casey scoffed as they exited the facility. "Like I said, super lame."

"Don't speak for everybody, Jones. I've been to a few that weren't bad." April paused for a moment in thought before her eyes suddenly lit up. She linked arms with Noelle, an innocent grin plastered onto her face. "Well guys, we're gonna take off. See ya later!" Casey and Irma shot perturbed glances at the redhead as she guided her confused friend down the street and into a narrow alley behind Antonio's Pizza restaurant. Once she was certain that they were alone, she eagerly beamed at the other teen.

"Let's have the boys go with us!"

"Oh, you mean to the dance?"

"Of course! I mean, these events are pretty cool, but I haven't enjoyed them as much as I could because I just end up going alone or with the wrong people. The turtles have never been to one, and they won't even need to disguise themselves because everybody will think they are in costume. Besides, it could be a good experience for you too."

Noelle took a moment to consider the idea, and realized that she really didn't have an excuse to not go. Of course, she wouldn't be entirely comfortable dancing in front of so many people, but maybe she didn't have to. Besides, it would be nice to feel like an actual teenager and spend time with friends.

"I'm in. I'm not really sure what to do for a costume though."

April smirked. "We'll worry about that later. For now, we need to focus on bribing the boys, especially Raph." She pointed at the aromatic building behind her, and the girls shared a sly smile.

**[][][]**

"So, you guys interested in going to a Halloween dance?"

The boys all glanced up from their slices of pizza and eyed the red head in bewilderment before each of their faces morphed into diverse expressions. Mikey appeared positively elated, Leo was trying to discern the though, Donnie blushed at the notion of going to a dance with his human crush, and Raph just seemed annoyed.

"I don't know if that's a good idea."

"Oooh! I wanna go!"

" O-okay April, if you want me to."

"No."

April folded her arms and icily glared at Raph. "Oh, come on. Are you seriously going to stay down here by yourself while we're out having fun?"

"I didn't agree to it either," Leo asserted. "I'm not too keen on the idea of partying with a bunch of people who could easily discover our identity. I'm not going to put my brothers' lives in danger."

"Really? You're going to be around people who are all dressed up on Halloween and you're worried about being discovered? If anything, they'll think you guys have awesome costumes."

Raph snorted. "Oh wow, thanks for the compliment."

"Well, I'm going!" Mikey declared as he devoured another greasy slice. "I wanna par-tay!"

"What is all this talk of a dance?" Splinter entered the den with a cup of steaming tea and glanced at Leo for clarification.

The leader awkwardly cleared his throat. "April here was just telling us about a party taking place on Halloween night at her school. She invited us all to attend."

"Sensei, it's just for a night," April practically begged. "Besides, people will just think they're wearing costumes."

"Hmmm." The aged rat gazed down at his tea for a moment before his eyes lifted and focused on the blonde girl. "Noelle, what do you think about all this?"

The bashful teen froze, unsure of how to properly answer him. " T-This might be a lot of fun for all of us. I think we'd all enjoy ourselves, and if anybody grew even the least bit suspicious we would come right back." She wasn't sure if he was buying her argument or not, but he didn't oppose her or appear displeased. Instead, he nodded his head and sighed in defeat.

"Fine, you may go."

An enthusiastic cheer echoed within the room as Raph groaned.

"However, you must all be home by midnight."

Leo raised a brow ridge in confusion. "That's fine, but why? I mean, we're always out really late anyways."

"Halloween night is known for mischievous activity, so the police force will be doubled. Therefore, to avoid becoming unnecessarily involved in situations you should be back in the sewers by the stroke of midnight."

"Makes sense to me," Donnie agreed. "I guess all we really need to do now is pick out some costumes, and boy do I have one in mind!" He did his usual nerdy laugh and ventured over to his lab like a mad scientist with a secretive experiment. April watched her best friend retreating into his work space and rolled her eyes.

"Well, there's no telling what he'll get up to, and I guess if the boys wanna dress up there isn't any harm in doing so. Anyways, we should come up with our own costumes, right?" The red head playfully jabbed the blonde, prompting a smile out Noelle.

"Sure. I'd love to!"

"Yeah, come on Raphie! We've gotta do ours too!" Mikey teased as he poked his irritated brother's face. Raph proceeded to growl and grind his teeth as Leo joined in the fun.

"Hey, since I'll be Captain Ryan you can be my subordinate. Won't that be fun?"

Raph huffed at the two turtles and shook his head. "Ugh, you guys are such nerds."

Noelle observed her friends in contentment, pleased that they wouldn't have to be trapped underground another year during such an enjoyable event. She wondered what each of them, (except for Leo), would end up dressing as. She herself didn't have a clue as to what she'd be, only that she hopefully wouldn't draw unnecessary attention.

"For real, let's go. I have a bunch of neat ideas!" April repeated with her dimpled freckles pushed up. She turned to the brothers and waved at them. "Hey, we're gonna take off now. See ya!"

Raph grunted in response while his brothers returned the gesture.

"Bye guys!" Mikey called out. "Let me know what you come up with!"

April stuck her tongue out. "No way! It's gonna be a sur-prise!"

"Ha! Then mine will be too!"

"Ugh, why are you guys so loud? Shut up."

**[][][]**

Noelle tucked a strand of hair behind her ears as she attempted to familiarize herself with the stranger reflected back at her. Just like Mikey had with his human disguise, she reached forward and gently tapped her fingertips against the glass object in astounded disbelief, as if she expected the surface to ripple and reveal somebody different. "I can't believe this is me," she breathed out in awe.

"You look great! My aunt did a pretty good job." April beamed at her friend's transformation. She thought Noelle was already naturally pretty, but her aunt had definitely worked some magic on the quiet girl's appearance.

Straight blonde hair had been twisted into lovely curls that were pinned up by fake purple flowers against the back of her head while a few strands hung over her shoulders. A violet dress hugged her waist perfectly before draping down to the floor with a few inches of cloth encircled around her feet. Her elongated sleeves hung off her wrists, revealing the interior color of white that matched the lace lined up along the collar, which tastefully displayed her ivory neck and collar bone before scooping down to the top of her chest. A silver circlet adorned with purple jewels and whimsical curls encircled her forehead, giving off the feel of medieval royalty, and her ears has metamorphosed into pointier ones to complete her 'regal elf' look.

Noelle blinked and watched how her false eyelashes gave her the facade of being some sort of porcelain doll. Her lips were a light shade of red, and mauve eye shadow had been coated on her eye lids. She wondered if anybody would even recognize her, and supposed that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if that were the case. People at school barely knew who she was, so it wouldn't make such a difference anyways. She tore herself away from her reflection before she felt conceited and took a few steps over to April, who had dressed herself as Little Red Riding Hood. It was a very flattering look for her, and the red head actually seemed to be content wearing a mini scarlet dress, black shoes, white tights, and a little alabaster apron that encircled her waist. The crimson hood covered her head and was tied at the neck. Both of the girls had been given the costumes from April's aunt, little hand-me-downs that had been saved and cared for nearly a decade. The woman had been a seamstress when she was younger, and kept her work for years after.

"She really is very talented," Noelle agreed with a grateful smile as she folded her hands over the front of her dress. "I can't thank her enough for her kindness."

April just grinned before heading to the bathroom door. "She totally enjoyed herself, probably because I usually don't let her give me makeovers unless I know for sure she's having a bad day or something. She should've just been a makeup artist or worked in a salon or something."She pushed the door open and allowed her friend to exit first. "Now, let's go see what the guys are up to."

The two girls walked down to the den to meet everybody else before leaving for the party, and came upon an interesting sight that had both of them in giggles. Donnie had successfully transformed himself into Frankenstein's Monster, with the square black hair on his head and bolts protruding from his neck. He was flustered as Captain Ryan and a pirate continuously poked his bolts while pretending to be zapped every time. Dracula moped on the couch, entirely displeased about being dragged to an event that seemed so lame, and Jason Voorhees pouted right next to him. Splinter observed his sons with an amused twinkle in his eyes. He was grateful that they would be able to venture above and feel like everybody else for one night without being harshly judged for their appearance.

"You guys all set to go?"

The boys all stopped what they were doing to pay attention to the girls. Donnie looked like he was about to melt as soon as he saw April, his cheeks flaring a bright red. "April, you look ama-"

"Hey, you guys look great!" Leo interrupted with a thumbs up. Casey wolf-whistled, earning a glare from Donnie, while Raph grumbled about them taking forever.

When Mikey laid eyes on Noelle, he found himself rendered speechless. All he could do was smile as he took in her appearance, and came to terms with the fact that his best friend was definitely the prettiest girl in the world.

"Ahoy lassies!" he called out before flourishing into a bow and removing his ebony hat. "I be the great Captain Mikey of the S.S. Sewer Apple. Yar!"

"That's gotta be the worst pirate accent I've ever heard," Raph groaned with an eye roll. "Let's just get going already."

Splinter stood up and bowed his head to everybody, a gesture in which they all returned politely. "Be good, my children, and remember to be home no later than midnight. "

"Hai Sensei!"

Leo posed with his gun prop pointed at the turnstiles and his head confidently tilted up. "Today, we are going to take over and became the victors of Halloween. We must conquer this night, for there won't be any other in which we can triumph over the darkness. Now team, let's move out!" He blinked in confusion at the silence that followed before he peered around and noticed he was the only one in the room.

**[][][]**

The high school windows glowed with multiple colors and vibrated from the emphatic bass of upbeat music. Numerous teens dress in various costumes were scattered across the facility's lawn with Styrofoam cups in their hands as they laughed and engaged in private discussions. The evening air was pleasantly warm, which made it the perfect night for trick or treating. The turtles hadn't really said anything, but it was obvious they were a little intimidated by the possibility of being caught.

When Noelle walked up the sidewalk with her friends to the school's entrance, she felt some of the apprehension melting off of her as the air of enthusiasm began to consume her. It would be her first Halloween dance, let alone a party. She'd missed out on so much growing up, but now she had the chance to make new memories and enjoy herself. She glimpsed at Mikey, who was practically shaking with excitement and grinning like the Cheshire Cat. He linked his arm with hers and they proceeded to gleefully giggle like little children.

The hallways were decorated with paper bats, skeletons, mummies and pumpkins to add to the festive atmosphere. Some of the students were leaning against lockers and chatting, occasionally pausing their conversations to nod at the group's costumes. The music increased in volume as they drew closer to the gym until it was almost deafening. When they finally reached the double doors, April smiled over her shoulder at her friends and pushed one of the doors open so they could fully view the gym.

"Welcome to to the Halloween Dance."

Tables concealed in a glimmering black table were located at the back of the room and completely covered with food and punch. A disco ball hung from the ceiling adjacent to numerous multi-colored lights that produced a rave-like atmosphere. The DJ stand was over to the side and encompassed by colossal speakers to easily spread the electronic music pumping up the atmosphere. Teens wiggled their hips and rocked their heads as they immersed themselves in the music.

All the turtles and Noelle could do was stare in awe at everything going on. She apprehensively studied the crowd and tried not to think of the possibility of being lost among the bodies and unable to be found by her friends. The thought of being alone in such a compact space caused her stomach to unpleasantly churn.

April gently grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the center of the room, pushing through anybody who wouldn't move out of their way. "We're gonna dance. We need to loosen you up!" the red head yelled. She started twisting her body around and thrusting her arms up into the air as she did a "come-hither" motion with her hands to gesture for the others to join. Mikey kicked his legs out and pushed his hands up in an almost robotic fashion, Donnie joined April and followed her movements with a goofy grin on his face while Leo loosened his limbs in a similar fashion. Raph and Casey glimpsed at each other and shrugged before heading over to the food table, not really in the mood for dancing or making idiots of themselves.

Noelle anxiously inspected all the students swaggering and sashaying in the vicinity, and noticed that not one single pair of eyes seemed to be focused on her. She found it ironic that she used to want people to look at her so she didn't feel as invisible, and yet now she wanted anything but to be seen.

She was like a tightrope walker with a fear of heights who shuddered with each step she took, praying that the audience would just turn away and yet not leave her alone in such a hazardous situation. When Mikey's hefty fingers encased around hers and they made eye contact, she suddenly felt like a safety net had been securely fastened below her to prevent her from getting hurt.

When he encouragingly smiled and moved their arms back and forth, the rope began to lower so she wasn't so high off the ground.

The audience slowly turned their heads to watch her, their eyes lighting up at her new confident aura.

She giggled as Mikey spun her around, and the crowd cheered when she finally reached the other side.

April grabbed Noelle and Mikey's hands to form a circle, and proceeded to sway the upper part of her body so that all three of them would wiggle around together. Donnie linked himself in while Leo slid beneath their arms and into the center to bust some moves of his own. A large group crowded around the ring, cheering each person who stepped in the middle to show off their skills. People from outside the group of friends even joined in the fun until the beat ended and a round of applause echoed.

The misfit friends finally took a break for drinks and food, red-faced and full of laughter. It was only eight, so there were still three hours left until the party ended. A few teachers were chaperoning the dance, all of whom who gotten into the spirit and decided to sport their own costumes. Noelle waved at Ms. Miller, who was entirely displeased at not being able to relax at home like she had the past few years. However, she'd still made an effort in donning her fairy godmother costume and enjoying the holiday as much as possible so she wasn't viewed as a grump. She approached her star pupil, pleased to see the young girl happy and surrounded by a group of people.

"Happy Halloween. You seem to be in good spirits," the art instructor stated with a smile. "I'm glad to see you here. It seems like you're having a good time."

Noelle nodded her head eagerly. "I am! I have really wonderful friends!" Upon saying so, April walked up to her side holding a paper plate loaded with goodies. The red head smiled politely at the art professor.

"Happy Halloween Ms. Miller."

"And you too April. You girls look great. Enjoy the rest of the dance, okay?"

"We will!"

The teacher winced while walking away, wanting to kick herself for even remotely thinking that standing in high heels all night was a great idea. She didn't even bother forcing a smile for the other students who obnoxiously got in her way. If they wanted to make fools of themselves, then she'd just let them.

"Oh hey, it's that lady from the museum!" Mikey threw several brownie bites into his mouth without so much as batting an eye as he joined the ladies in staring after the older woman. "She seems nice."

_"Actually I don't think she's really a people person,"_ April thought to herself as she sensed just how irritated the professor really was. She kept her opinions to herself though, and followed the two over to the bleachers as soon as Noelle had filled her own plate. Raph and Casey looked completely stuffed as they lay across the bottom bench with their tongues hanging out of their mouths.

Leo smirked as he sat on the bleacher above Casey's head. "Well, you two seem like you're having a good time."

"More like a lame time," April scoffed before seating herself next to Leo. "Why aren't you two dancing or doing anything fun?"

"Because that ain't our thing, Red," Casey groaned while draping his forearm over his eyes. "Maybe I'm just not a fun guy."

"Well maybe you should be!"

"We are teenagers after all. The chances of having an opportunity like this are very slim to none, especially for us."

"Shutup Donnie."

"Don't talk to him like that!"

"Ooh, Red's getting defensive!"

"Everybody needs to calm down."

"I am perfectly calm!"

Noelle and Mikey scooted a few benches back to get away from the little argument that had become nearly audible over the music. All the blonde could do was chew thoughtfully on a celery stick as she watched her friends fight with each other, amused over how much she'd worried when she'd first witnessed all fighting. She'd definitely grown used to the dramatic spectacles.

"Dude, these guys are nuts. I bet Donnie is gonna win." Mikey popped a chocolate chip cookie into his mouth while Noelle's brows raised in surprise.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he's the smart one! Raph and April have their little baby tantrums until they lose energy, Leo will just be ignored, and Casey is too lazy right now to do anything. Now, when D snaps he goes all out! Man, you should totally see him when I break something in his lab. I don't know why he gets all mad and stuff, like it's my fault, but I swear I can see little flames in his eyes or something. Totally spooky!"He shuddered.

Noelle chuckled and set her plate on the empty space beside her, making a mental note to not get on Donnie's bad side. The lights suddenly dimmed as the song finished playing, and the disco ball lights glimmered across the floor. Her and Mikey glanced around in confusion, unsure as to what was going on.

"Alright, we're going to slow things down for a little bit of couple dancing. Don't be shy! Grab the person you like and head on out to the floor!" the DJs voice boomed before the atmosphere was overtaken by a piano melody and a beautiful female voice. Noelle blushed at the romantic atmosphere and leaned forward with her elbows resting on her kneecaps. She couldn't help beaming when she saw April and a very red Donnie walk out onto the floor, leaving behind a a fuming Casey who was being laughed at by Raph.

Mikey studied Noelle and noticed how she watched the couples with a gentle look in her eyes. For some reason it bugged him to see her unable to do something that others were doing, and why she wasn't able to do it in the first place. He saw how April and Donnie were happily dancing even though they weren't a couple, so there really wasn't a reason why he and Noelle couldn't be out there with them.

When he stood and extended to her his hand, her expression morphed into what appeared to be a mixture of happiness and terror. She swallowed the lump in her throat and played with her hair, her fingers yearning to keep busy so she wouldn't be too flustered to speak. Noelle tried to ignore the shaking of her legs and sweat on her hands as seconds passed by, and yet Mikey continued to patiently smile down at her.

"Do you want to dance together? You look like you want to. I mean, if you'd rather dance with Raph or Leo then-"

"It's not that." Noelle stopped playing with her hair and forced herself to gaze into his eyes. "I want to dance with you, but I'm just..." her voice and eyes somberly lowered. "...I'm really scared."

"Me too!"

She viewed him with so much disbelief that he burst out laughing. "Dude, I don't know how to waltz or anything! I mean, I'm pretty good at break dancing and stuff, but it's hard for me to actually go slow, you know what I'm saying?" He gestured down to the other couples. "I still wanna do it though. It'll be fun!"

Noelle apprehensively gaped at him for a moment before she slid her hand into his, hoping that he couldn't feel the nervous perspiration masking her palm. He merely grinned at her and pulled her to her feet before he guided her down seven sets of stairs and onto the dance floor. She lowered her head as her cheeks tinted a bright pink and she attempted to ignore Leo, Casey and Raph's eyes following her every move. She only made eye contact with the Leader, who offered her a nod and smile before he turned away and began talking to Casey. She mentally noted to thank him later for the distraction.

**[Eagle Eye-Loss of a Twin]**

When they reached the center of the floor, Mikey spun on his heel and bowed to her while fighting to keep a serious expression on his face. Noelle returned his gesture with a curtsy, secretly thrilled that everything seemed to be playing out like a fairy tale. She was by no mean a princess, nor he a prince, but perhaps she could pretend they were living in a story book for just one night.

Mikey's hand held onto her waist while the other gently clutched her hand, and when Noelle inspected his face she saw excitement glowing in his bright blue eyes. Her face heated at their close proximity, but she felt that the warmth came more out of happiness than love. She was so glad that she was able to have her first couple dance with her best friend, and judging by the way he was grinning he felt the same way.

"Hey, stand on my feet," he suggested, and she suddenly understood what he doing. Noelle giggled and she did what he said, finding the whole ordeal to be amusing. Her uncle had done this with her many times when she was younger, and it was still just as fun as she remembered. Unlike Nick though, Mikey moved much faster. The freckled ninja made a show of dipping her and walking around in a funny fashion. She heard other people chuckling, including April and Donnie. Some attendees stared at the odd pair, but she couldn't help not caring. She felt safe and happy, and there was nobody else she'd rather be acting silly with.

"I'm enjoying myself more than I thought," Noelle shyly admitted, her jade eyes sparkling from the disco ball. Mikey stared at her, and the strangest thing happened to him. His face felt like it was on fire, and his heart pounded like somebody was punching him in the chest. He definitely hoped he wasn't getting sick, because that meant being cooped away in the lair while his brothers were out having fun. He would definitely need to see Donnie later.

**[+]**

The song came to an end, and upbeat music once more suffused the gym. As more bodies filled the dance floor, the air began to faintly reek of sweat and body heat. Noelle stared towards the double doors, and realized that she needed to get some fresh air before she had a headache.

"I'm going to go outside," she announced to Mikey, who coyly simpered and nodded.

"It's like a volcano in here! Besides, I wanna see some more of the city before going home. Let's go tell my bros!" Before she could say a word he was dragging her by her wrist towards the rest of the group. She helplessly stared at the leader, who merely raised a brow when he saw the grin on his little brother's face.

"Mikey, what are you up to?"

Raph shrugged. "Probably nothing good."

"I'm gonna go walk around the city with Noelle. It's way too warm in here!"

Donnie coughed nervously, his face still red from dancing with April. "It, uh, actually is."

"Please? We'll be back at the lair by midnight." Mikey's impossibly blue eyes somehow enlarged themselves as he stared at his older brother with a quivering bottom lip. Unable to resist the powerful puppy face, Leo sighed.

"Fine. Just keep your T-Phone near you in case."

"Thanks dude!" Mikey ecstatically expressed before he grabbed Noelle's forearm and pulled her away like an excited puppy. She shyly waved goodbye to the others before following behind him. April watched the pair in amusement and took a sip of her punch.

**[][][]**

The streets were littered with little children eagerly running from each house to the next with buckets and pillowcases overflowing with candy. Parents ambled nearby with smiles on their faces as they watched their little ones showing off their goodies, occasionally stopping to take a picture that would probably be uploaded to social media later. Noelle felt envious of the families walking around together, as she'd never been able to have the same familial experience herself. As she looked at Mikey though, she realized that he'd never even been trick-or-treating. At least her grandma had taken her several years, and let her pick out her own costume too.

**[Casper-One Last Wish]**

They passed a few small shops before they rounded a corner and feasted their eyes upon one of the most iconic symbols in the entire world.

"Lady Liberty," Noelle breathed out in delight as she admired the colossal statue. "She's so beautiful."

Mikey stared at the iron statue in bewilderment as he admired how much of a giant she really was. Of course, he and his brothers had seen her before while out patrolling, but he'd never actually been given a moment to just look at her.

Noelle cleared her throat to draw his attention away and pointed over to one of the side piers. "Do you mind if we sit down for a few minutes? It's really nice out and I want to watch the water."

"Sure. I actually kinda wanna chill for a little bit too." They silently walked side by side down the ligneous flooring until they reach the edge and sat down in unison. The two of them exchanged a brief smile before facing Ellis Island, a moment of silence lapsing between them. Noelle's forearms encircled her calves as she rested her chin on her knees and appreciated the stars and lights illuminating the famous figure, and contemplated a thought she'd wondered about for a while.

"Mikey, have you ever seriously thought about leaving New York someday?"

The freckled turtle gazed up at the stars and silently thought about his answer for a moment. "Sometimes I do, but I don't wanna go anywhere without my bros and Sensei. "He tilted his head curiously towards her, and she swore she saw a brief flicker of worry in his eyes. "What about you?"

The sea breeze prickled her skin as she stared out at the water. "A few months ago, I would've said yes right away. I didn't really have a reason to stay except for my grandma and uncle. I want to see mountains, oceans, and forests, and secretly, I really want to just somehow fly." She gazed at Lady Liberty's torch and wondered how spectacular the view would be from such a height. "I wonder what the sunset looks like to her; I bet it's beautiful."

"Noelle?" The normally silly teen had a serious tone to his voice that captured her attention. "You know you're part of our family right? We all really like you: me, Sensei, Donnie, Leo, Ice Cream Kitty, and even Raph think you're awesome. If you ever do leave the city, you can't go without us, okay? Well, at least me."

Overcome with surprise at his words, all she could manage to do was wordlessly bob her head. A part of her wanted to question if he meant what he said, but she knew he did. Mikey wasn't somebody who would lie to her about a thing like that, especially when he said it so sincerely.

He watched Noelle's lips part as she nodded, yet no words came out. He saw how the moonlight made her hair glow, almost like one of those things that he'd seen around angel's heads. Her emerald eyes were enlarged and glittering as she watched him like he'd just given her the surprise of a lifetime, and he couldn't help saying what was on his mind.

"You look super pretty tonight."

The pink in her face deepened into a crimson red, causing Mikey to bite his lower lip to prevent laughter as her hands flew up to cover her mouth. Her reaction was so adorable to him that he couldn't fight off a smile.

"Yo, are you okay? Your face is the color of Raph's mask right now."

Noelle grew even more embarrassed when she realized she probably looked silly to him. She wanted to look away from him so he wouldn't focus on her anymore, but instead she remained completely frozen. When his arm was slung around her shoulder she felt herself relax a little more, but now her stomach was tumbling around.

"Thank you," she finally managed to say, smiling when he laughed and bumped the side of his head against hers.

"No problem dude! I mean it!"

As a nearby clock tower began to chime Noelle pulled out her T-Phone and gasped. "It's midnight!"

"Uh oh! Sensei!" Sharing a panicked expression they quickly stood up and ran over to the nearest sewer entrance in a frenzy. Mikey lifted the heavy cover off like it was weightless, and stood over the entrance with Noelle straight across from him. He bowed and she curtsied once more before they burst into giggles and she proceeded to start climbing down the ladder.

Mikey took one last look around the area and grinned. "Happy Halloween New York!" he yelled out, and then disappeared into the tunnels below.

**[+]**


	15. Take Flight

_**Thank you all for being patient! I edited the end of last chapter a little bit so that the hug didn't happen in that moment. There's a reason I did that, so no worries. : ] I appreciate the reviews! **_

**Chapter 15: Take Flight**

True to their word, Mikey and Noelle hurried back to the lair and arrived no later than two minutes past midnight. Leo, Donnie and April were spread out across the den on the couch and beanbag chairs with Master Splinter, their eyes glued to the TV as their attention was captivated by a black and white show involving monsters. Leo was the only one still in his costume, seemingly unwilling to even want to take it off, while April had already ditched hers and donned pajamas instead. She smiled and waved when she saw her two friends enter the den.

"Hey guys! Have fun?"

"Aw man it was rad! The decorations were awesome and people thought my costume was cool! I totally can't wait until next year!" His smile suddenly morphed into a disappointed pout. "Too bad we didn't get any candy though."

"Ha! Never fear! Casey Jones and Raph have come to save the night!"

All heads turned as Jason and Dracula descended down the steps while each of them hauled around two bulging plastic bags. Mikey watched in childish glee as a hefty pile of assorted candies were poured out onto the floor with a satisfying echo of crinkling wrappers. Even Leo, who usually tried to remain the mature one as an example for his brothers, turned into a sweet-toothed teen with a craving for sugar. When the last chocolate bar had fallen onto the top of the impressive collection, the brothers wasted no time in grabbing handfuls of sweets.

"Are you guys sure you're turtles instead of pigs?" April teased as she observed the reptiles' greedy behavior. They were shoveling candy into their mouths like they'd never had one before in their life, which was completely untrue since she'd brought them some many times.

Splinter sighed and shook his head. "Boys, I will not reschedule training tomorrow if any of you get sick. You will have to deal with the consequences."

"Don't worry Sensei; we won't," Leo promised as he licked his chocolate-stained lips.

Mikey crammed a handful of candy corn into his mouth and loudly chomped. "Where'd you guys find all this anyway?"

Casey grinned as he swiped a few chocolate bars out of the pile. "Pharmacies are having huge sales on candy right now. We just took advantage of it." He tore open one of the wrappers and used his side teeth to chew on the sweet snack. Donnie chortled into his hand and ignored the vigilante's glare.

"Six bucks well spent," Raph agreed with his mouth full.

"Dude, you didn't even do anything. It was _my_ money."

April helped herself to a bag of chocolate peanut butter pieces. "I'm impressed guys. You didn't even need to use any coupons."

"Ha ha, Red."

Noelle stood apart from the small group with a content smile on her face. She was glad that Halloween went over well this year, and that she was actually able to celebrate it with friends. Her feet were killing her though, and she was really exhausted from the long day, not to mention that school would go by slowly tomorrow on only six hours of sleep. Luckily, Master Splinter was kind enough to allow her and April to stay over, and even Casey was just going to crash on Raph's floor. Her eyelids grew heavy at the welcoming thought of crawling into bed.

"My child, you must be tired. You should go to sleep," Splinter suggested with a fatherly smile when he noticed the young blonde yawning. "We will commence with your training tomorrow evening."

Noelle sleepily nodded and stopped herself from rubbing her eyes so the makeup didn't smear. She knew she'd be taking it off in a few minutes anyways, but she wanted to enjoy feeling like somebody else for as long as she could.

"Wait, you've gotta have some candy first!" Mikey called out as he grabbed a handful of colored packages and skipped over to her. "Here! Halloween isn't complete without candy, right?"

She smiled as she held out her hands so he could drop the sugary sweets into her open palms. "Thanks Mikey," Noelle replied as she picked up the side of her dress and began walking away. "Good night."

"Good night Noelle!" Mikey called out, his words reiterated by his brothers and Casey in a garbled fashion.

"Hang on, I'll help you out," April offered as she stood up and ran over to the blonde's side. "I know it'll probably be a pain to get out of." She waved back at the others and followed her friend towards their room.

"Boys, you should do the same," Splinter suggested before he proceeded to head to the dojo for his night meditation. "Good night, and..."he shot a warning glance "...please do not puke."

"Hai Sensei."

**[][][]**

"Sheesh, when did makeup become so hard to take off?" April incredulously watched Noelle repeatedly attempt to rub off the lipstick with a washcloth as she carefully lifted the circlet out of the blonde's thick curls and set it off to the side so she could remove the false ear tips, her head shaking all the while as her friend continued to struggle. The eye shadow had been easy enough, but for some reason the lips were proving to be quite a challenge.

"I think it's almost off," Noelle optimistically stated as she spread more soap onto the drenched material and firmly rubbed it against her lips once more before she stopped and gazed into the mirror. The unpleasant taste of soap had somehow managed its way onto the tip of her tongue, but at least all the makeup was finally off. The area around her mouth was red from all the harsh friction.

April laughed and unzipped the back of Noelle's dress half-way down so the blonde could have an easier time getting out of it. "Guess it'll be a long time before you let my aunt give you another makeover, huh?"

"I wouldn't really mind if she did it again. I kind of enjoyed looking different," Noelle responded with a smile. She gathered her pajamas and headed into the last stall to change while April waited patiently with her back pressed against the counter. The redhead tapped her fingers on the cold counter top to a song she'd had stuck in her head since she'd heard it earlier at the dance while the sound of ruffled clothing served as background noise.

Noelle reluctantly lifted the dress over her head and slipped into her pajamas, already missing the regal feeling the costume had provided her. The only thing she wouldn't miss about the outfit were the shoes, which had made her toes feel confined and suffocated. She embraced the cool tiles against her bare feet and let out a content sigh before she exited the stall, her eyes screwing shut as a yawn escaped from her.

April simpered and pushed herself off the counter, her mouth opening to speak before she also yawned. "I guess we're both ready for bed, huh?" she tiredly teased as they went to leave the bathroom. Noelle hummed in agreement as she allowed herself to finally rub her eyes without fear of ruining her make up.

"I know this isn't a good idea, but I'm really tempted to just sleep in tomorrow."

"You and me both," April chuckled. They entered their room, and Noelle went about laying her clothes out on the dresser while April set the alarm and turned on the bedside table lamp. "So did you have fun tonight?"

Noelle smiled fondly. "I did. I always wondered what it would be like to go to a school dance with a bunch of friends, and it was so much more fun than I thought it would be."

"I could tell. You and Mikey seemed to be having a great time."

The blonde crawled under the covers and rested her head against a propped pillow, her lips curling up into a smile. "Yeah, we did." She giggled. "He definitely doesn't know the meaning of slow dancing though."

"I can tell, but it looked fun. Where did you guys go after you left?"

Noelle's eyes lit up. "We mostly just walked around the city so he could see more costumes and decorations. It was really neat to see him enjoy himself like that, and a lot of the little kids thought his costume was really neat. We ended up sitting on one of the piers and talking while looking at the Statue of Liberty." She paused as she felt her face growing warm.

April grinned and sat down next to her friend. "And...?"

Suddenly bashful, Noelle turned away to hide her reddened face. "He-he said I was part of his family, and that I was pretty."

"That's awesome!" the red head jovially exclaimed. "He's right though, you know? You really are pretty, and I knew right away that the guys and Splinter adopted you right into the family. They did the same for me when I lost my dad, and I think even Casey is seen as a brother figure." She placed an encouraging hand on Noelle's shoulder. "I'm really happy for you. I think it's great that you and Mikey have formed such a close friendship."

The other teen smiled in agreement, her shyness fading away. "Thanks. I feel really lucky to have been found by such good people."

**[][][]**

Getting up early proved to be just as difficult as the girls predicted. The temptation to stay in bed was strong, but eventually they managed to wriggle out from beneath the warm covers and prepare for the day, both too tired to even make conversation. When it came time to wake Casey up, their ninja skills were tested. They managed to quietly open Raph's door and tiptoe over to Casey, who was sprawled out on the carpet and snoring obnoxiously loud. April reached out and firmly poked his shoulder a few times until the hockey player nonchalantly opened his eyes.

"Red?" he mumbled before he turned over to resume sleeping. The girls exchanged a helpless look before April roughly shook his shoulders, disturbing him from his sleep once more. He groaned in protest.

"We don't have time for this Casey! Wake up!" the red head hissed before she slapped him upside his head, prompting him to sit up and yell in surprise.

"Hey, what gives?!"

"Shh! We need to go to class. Be quiet."

Noelle edged closer to the doorway with bated breath, wanting nothing more than to leave the dim room before the hot-tempered turtle woke up. She wondered if he was actually awake and just hadn't said anything, or if he really was just still sleeping. She hoped for their sake that he was.

Eventually all three of them were dressed and ready for school. Splinter was the only one up by the time they were leaving, so he wished them a good day and watched them practically drag their feet as they exited the lair. He shook his head with a chuckle, and went about making his morning tea.

"Ah, to be young again."

**[][][]**

Mikey spent most of the morning laying on his bed and staring up at the ceiling in deep thought. His limbs felt heavy from training earlier, and his stomach wasn't exactly feeling the greatest after indulging in so much candy the night before. The only regret he had was that he hadn't saved any to use later on pizza.

He grinned as he remembered just how much fun Halloween had been. It had been really neat to actually be able to experience the holiday instead of having to watch people on TV enjoy it when he couldn't. The costumes, decorations and snacks had all been great, but the real highlight of the night was the time he spent with Noelle. He enjoyed being able to make her smile, and felt pleased that she seemed happy to be considered part of his family. He hoped that she really did get to see the world one day, and maybe he and his brothers, Sensei, April and Casey would be able to join her.

For some odd reason, he kept replaying the scene of him and Noelle on the pier in his head. The moment made him feel cheerful because he felt like he was succeeding more in bringing her "out of her shell". In a way, he'd felt proud of her at the dance because she'd actually joined other students and had fun. He knew there were a couple times that she had wanted to hide away from everybody, but all she'd needed was a little push to get her included in all the dancing. Oddly enough, it wasn't the dancing that he thought of more, but the time alone that they shared from everybody else. Noelle was his best friend, but there was still so much he didn't know about her.

He remembered her saying that she wanted to watched the sun set from on top the Statue of Liberty, and that had set him in one of his rare thoughtful moods. He wanted to see her smile again, so maybe there was something he could do to make at least one of her wishes happen.

His eyes lit up as an idea suddenly entered his mind. "Eureka!" he shouted as he bolted up in bed with a giant grin on his face. "I've gotta go find Donnie!"

**[][][]**

"No."

"Why not D?!"

"Because I know you, and I know you'll just break it. There are so many chances of something going wrong that I'm not willing to compete with those odds."

"It's not for me, it's for Noelle!"

Donnie sighed and lifted his safety goggles over his head. "I get it, but I'm trying to take your safety into account here. There are a lot of risks, and if something happened-"

"Nothing will happen! I promise! Look, you can even follow us if you want. She's just been through a lot and I thought this might make her feel better." Mikey said the last few words in such a dismal voice that Donnie winced. He knew Mikey was right, but he was still uncomfortable with the suggested idea. He turned away from his brother's puppy dog eyes to not fall victim to them as he attempted to rationally think. The younger freckled teen could be a pain when he wanted to be, but even he would take safety seriously if somebody else's life was on the line. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time Mikey had operated the device, so he at least had some idea of what he was doing.

The lanky turtle exhaled in defeat before turning around to face his brother's pleading face. "Fine, but you better not get caught. Keep your T-Phone on you at all times."

"Booyakasha! Thanks D!" Mikey roughly pulled his brother into a tight hug before kissing him roughly on the cheek and running off. Donnie cringed as he watched the smaller reptile run off in triumph, hoping that he hadn't just made some awful mistake.

**[][][]**

School had been just as long as Noelle expected it to be. It had been extremely difficult not to nod off in Math Class, even with all the doodling she did in her notebook just to stay awake. The teacher's voice was so monotone and boring that half the class had either passed out or were struggling to keep their eyes open. Fortunately, the math professor had obliviously droned on while his students enjoyed their little cat naps. It was like that in almost all her classes, except a few of the professors actually walked around and kicked desks to scare the heck out of the slumbering teens. Noelle was just grateful that she had April and Casey in a couple of classes to make the dull sessions more interesting. Casey did end up sleeping face-first on his desk, which was comical when several students chortled at his snoring. April rolled her eyes at him from across the room and shook her head at Noelle, who bit her lip to prevent herself from bursting into amused laughter.

Art club had been cancelled due to Ms. Miller not feeling well, so Noelle and April headed to the lair right after school, both of them dreading the idea of training. The thought of taking a nap was much more appealing, but Splinter would disapprove and Noelle needed to hone her skills. Training was a little different that evening though.

"Noelle and Raphael, you will verse Leonardo and April."

All four students stood up and walked to the center of the mat, but it was done so in a hesitant fashion. Noelle may have gained more confidence, but the idea of her having to prove herself useful to her partner was a lot of pressure. She knew the others were worried about whether she could handle herself, so she had to show them that she wouldn't be a liability in a real fight. Taking a deep breath, she lined up next to Raph, who held out a fist to her.

"We've got this. You'll be fine," the temperamental turtle promised as he waited for her, smirking when she gently pounded her fist against his and timidly smiled.

"Okay."

Mikey and Donnie sat on the sidelines and anxiously waited for the match to start. Donnie tilted his head towards Mikey so only the youngest brother could hear him. "Do you think she can handle it?"

The freckled turtle seemed confused for a moment. "Who? April?"

"No, Noelle."

"Of course, dude." Mikey looked ahead and confidentially smirked. "No doubt."

"Hajime!"

Everything happened in one giant blur. One moment Noelle was standing with her feet pressed into the mat and weapon raised in defense, and the next she was engaged in combat with April. The redhead's iron fan was open and pushing against the wooden Jitte relentlessly in an attempt to force the blonde out of bounds. Noelle ran numerous options in her head on what to do, but remembered that she was supposed to act instead of wasting her precious seconds of defense on thinking of a strategy. She had to live in the moment and stand her ground, but April was much stronger than she thought.

Leo and Raph were repeatedly striking their blades together in a nonstop flurry of offense and defense, which proved to be really distracting. Noelle made the mistake of looking over, giving April the opening to knock the Jitte out of her opponent's hands and kick the other girl's legs. The blonde fell onto her back and glanced over at Mikey and Donnie in fear that they would look at her discouragingly. Instead, she was given a thumbs-up and words of encouragement.

"Get her, girl!"

"You can do it Noelle! Oh, and of course you too April."

Her emerald eyes stared up at the towering girl, looking for some sort of opening she could use. Her weapon had been flung away from her, so she had to rely solely on her hands and feet to gain some footing. Noticing April's undefended legs, Noelle took the opportunity to use her fists and knock them behind her foe's kneecaps.

April toppled forward and used her arms to prevent her face from crashing into the mat. Noelle moved in the nick of time to avoid being squished, clumsily climbing onto her feet as she grabbed her weapon and threateningly pointed it at April's back with trembling arms. She was unsure on what to do.

"Stop."

All activity came to a halt as Splinter folded her arms over his chest and stared at his newest pupil. "Noelle, why did you not attack?"

A feeling of dread curled in her stomach at his question. He was disappointed in her. "I-I'm sorry sensei. I didn't want to hurt her."

"Hey, I can take it," April reassured with a smile. "I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm already prepared to get a few bruises. It'll be nothing I can't handle."

"When you are in a fight, you must not hesitate. I understand why you did not wish to harm April, but you will never improve if you do not give your best each and ever time. When the time comes for battle, you will need to push yourself to hurt your enemy before they can hurt you." Splinter's voice was wise and kind as he lectured, and Noelle felt herself relax when she realized he wasn't angry with her. "Now, let us practice once more."

The fighting continued another hour before Splinter finally dismissed his pupils. "Tomorrow we shall train exactly the same, but Michelangelo will take Raphael's place, and Donatello will be with April."

"Aw yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Mikey excitedly jumped to his feet and slapped his palm against Noelle's. Her entire body was drenched in sweat and she was out of breath, but she felt great about herself. She had really improved during the last few fights. April had been her opponent the entire time, and she assumed Master Splinter was planning for that to happen. For her to go against Leo right away wouldn't be the smartest move, but that day would eventually come. Until then, she would think of ways to work with her partner to balance the team out.

"I'll do my best," Noelle promised. Just as she was about to follow April to the showers, Mikey grabbed her arm and grinned.

"Hey, I've got a surprise, so you need to hurry so I can show you!" He practically bounced away towards Donnie's lair while she glanced at him with a puzzled expression before turning to look at April. The redhead innocently shrugged and walked away with a concealed smile on her face.

**[][][]**

"Are you ready for your surprise?!"

Noelle had barely stepped into the den and finished pulling her hair back into a ponytail before Mikey popped up in front of her like an excited kid opening presents. She had thought about what he could possibly be planning the entire time she was in the shower, but nothing came to mind. She wondered if he had somehow acquired a new comic book and wanted to show her the art, or maybe he and Ice Cream Kitty had another interesting sundae creation to show her, but this seemed bigger than those two combined. She would love whatever he was planning to show her though, so she smiled and nodded.

"Okay okay! Come on!" Mikey grabbed her forearm and impatiently pulled her towards the sewers.

"Ah! My coat!" Noelle giggled as he stopped and pouted at her. She quickly ran over to the sofa where she'd discarded it earlier and zipped herself up in it. November had arrived, and the temperatures were quickly lowering to the point where she needed to wear her winter coat. "Alright, I'm ready now!"

"Yes! Let's go!" The energetic turtle grabbed her arm once more and pulled her into the tunnels at a brisk pace. She tried to keep up, but her limbs were simply too tired to move as quickly as him. When he saw how exhausted she was, Mikey slowed down and patted his shell. "Climb aboard!"

Noelle climbed on, embarrassed that she was the one responsible for slowing them down, though she was grateful to give her legs a rest. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"No prob! Let's go!" He took off, his legs moving so fast it felt as if they were flying through the tunnels. He seemed to be in a real hurry, almost like he was racing against the clock. He slid to a stop in front of a ladder, which she recognized as the one they had climbed down on from the previous night. The colored marked numbers on the wall verified their location. "Okay, you've gotta close your eyes. No peeking!"

The blonde was even more confused as to what was going on, but she did as he said and held on tightly as he climbed up. A cool breeze blew on her face as they exited the sewers and stood on the streets, the evening atmosphere calm and quiet save for a few cars honking and people talking. She recognized the sound of water and seagulls, so they were definitely at the pier. He moved swiftly and quietly until they were climbing up a building. A sense of deja vu came to her as she recalled how he'd done the exact same thing on the night he took her to his hiding place, but this time the climb wasn't nearly as long.

Mikey set her down so her feet were firmly planted on the roof before stepping back to give her space. "Okay! Open them!"

She opened her eyes and stared ahead. Donnie was standing near the edge of the roof with a pair of what appeared to be folded up wings in his hands. She was still confused as to what was going on, but felt a strange sense of delight when she saw him opening up the device to reveal a two person glider with bulky black bat wings.

"Everything is all set up. Remember, this is a glider, so you have to ride the wind." Donnie instructed as he set the glider on the ground and eyed his brother skeptically, already regretting his decision to help. "Please be careful." This time he looked at Noelle, but he only offered her a gentle small before he climbed off the building and left the two friends alone.

The blonde walked over to the wings and felt how smooth and strong they were. She was in complete awe as she wondered if the glider meant what she thought it meant.

"Are-are we going to fly?"

"Even better!" Mikey bounced on his toes as he widely grinned. "We're going to fly to the Statue of Liberty!"

She stared at him, eyes wide and mouth open. Her heart pounded at his words, wondering if she'd heard him correctly. "We are?"

"Yup! I had Donnie make this for us so we can go. You said you wanted to watch the sun set from her view, right? Well, tada!" He gestured towards the wings proudly.

Suddenly she was overjoyed, completely and utterly overjoyed. She burst out into delighted laughter, and soon he joined in even though he wasn't really sure what she was laughing about. Soon their laughter dissipated, and he was strapping them into the mechanism. "So, I'm gonna run and then totally jump off this building, okay?"

Noelle gulped, her body shaking from both nerves and excitement. "That's safe?"

He shrugged but kept grinning. "I'm sure we'll be fine. Are you ready?"

Now she was just plain scared. "I don't-"

**[Big Hero 6-First Flight]**

"Go!" Mikey broke out into a run while Noelle tried to keep up. Luckily he was more than fast enough for the both of them, and in no time at all they were diving off the end of the building. "Booyakasha!"

She screamed as they dived straight down, getting closer and closer to the ground with every passing second. Her stomach flopped around and she thought she might puke from all the terror she felt, but suddenly the wings lifted them up, and then they were soaring.

Donnie had hidden himself nearby to make sure everything successful worked out. His shoulders sagged in relief when he watched them lift off and away from the ground. From what he could tell, they two hadn't been seen by anybody, which put them in the clear. "Don't wreck it, please," he whispered as he crossed his two fingers.

Noelle giggled in delight as they glided over unsuspecting pedestrians and cars. Building lights acted almost like a runway that navigated the mechanism in a straight line. A powerful gust of wind suddenly propelled them forward and away from the city so that only water was beneath them, glittering in the setting sun light like an ocean of jewels.

"Yes! This is so awesome!" Mikey crowed, holding on tightly as they sailed belly-down through the sky. Noelle closed her eyes as she felt a cool breeze across her body, shivering as goosebumps pleasantly crawled up her arms. The feeling of flying was unlike anything she had ever felt. If the word freedom had an emotion or action to represent it, then this moment would be it.

"Girl, you better hang on! Woo hoo!"

The turtle lifted up the control stick between him and Noelle so that the wings tilted up, causing the window to blow them higher and into a flip. He laughed hysterically as he heard the blonde shrieking with laughter, the sound welcoming and pleasant. He did two more flips before he maneuvered them down towards the water. He saw Noelle gazing in fascination at the surface before she stuck her hand in and allowed the water to rush over her fingers. Some of the liquid sprayed onto Mikey's face, so he returned the favor by spraying hers. They burst out into laughter before she spread her arms out like she was actually a bird, imagining that the sensation of having wings was similar to what she was feeling now. She felt a little silly in doing so, but that went away when she watched Mikey do the same thing.

"Yeah son! Turflytle is back, buzz buzz!" He spiraled them up until they were over Lady Liberty's head, providing an absolutely breathtaking view that provided the perfect height for nosediving. "Here we go, buzz buzz!" They shot downwards, the atmosphere littered with their screams and yells until he lifted the wings up last second and zoomed them towards the statue's face.

Noelle felt extremely privileged to be able to examine the amazing work of Frederic Auguste Bartholdi so closely. The design was flawless and beautiful, even with the scattered areas of verdigris coating her form. Mikeye flew them up the back of the giant woman and nodded at Noelle, who breathlessly extended her hands out and ran her fingers along the cold surface as they soared up higher, her eyes closed as she tried to ingrain the texture in her mind to always remember.

When they had finally gained enough height, Mikey landed them on the monument's hand gracefully. Noelle remained silent as she undid the safety straps and walked forward like she was in some sort of trance, unable to take her eyes of the sea. Mikey smiled, pleased at the look of awe on her face. She extended a hand out like she was grabbing the sun before she slowly lowered it and watched as the blazing orb in the sky gradually sank into the ocean, the horizon line glowing a brilliant gold while the hemisphere above darkened with dark blues, purples and pinks. She climbed up the torch's stairs and leaned against the circular railing at the front of the torch, completely captivated by the most majestic sight she'd ever seen.

"You like it?" Mikey asked as he stood next to her, trying not to feel too pleased with himself

"It's beautiful," she whispered, her eyes literally shimmering with joy. He looked out at the sunset, captivated by the scenery for only a moment before he turned and faced her. Light reflected on her face as she continued focusing ahead with a satisfied smile.

**[+]**

Noelle suddenly swallowed and bit her lips before she turned and gazed at him with coy and nervous eyes. Mikey felt himself growing confused as to her sudden change in attitude, and wondered if maybe she really wasn't enjoying herself like he thought. He tried not to feel disappointed that her brief moment of happiness was already over, feeling like he had failed her in some way.

However, instead of her asking him to take her back home, Noelle walked forward and apprehensively lifted her arms up before she wrapped them around his shoulders and pressed her face against his plastron. She felt her face burn when he rested his hands on the small of her back and smiled against her shoulder, her stomach somehow inwardly shaking at the close and unfamiliar contact. He'd hugged her before, but this time it felt more personal, not to mention the fact that she was the one initiating it this time. The last person she'd made the effort to hug was her grandma, and that wasn't anywhere near as intimate as this felt. The intense feeling of her insides quivering, fevered face and pounding heart forced her to keep the contact brief before she pulled away and shyly gazed at the ground.

"Thank you," she gratefully voiced as she tried to avoid eye contact in fear of him seeing how much of a nervous wreck she was. "I'll never forget this."

He was completely stunned by her actions, and even more so at the fact that he had actually wanted to hold her longer. Mikey had always been the protective type when it came to animals, his brothers and April, but for some reason he felt even more protective of Noelle. He didn't view her as some helpless creature who couldn't defend herself, but they'd somehow formed a really deep friendship that he'd never experienced with anybody else before, not even his brothers. He knew that what she just did had taken a lot of courage for her to do, so he grinned at her in reassurance so she wouldn't feel as embarrassed.

"Anytime, girl! You know it!"

The way she softly laughed with her face lit up had made the whole experience worth it, but he felt the worries appear again when he felt like little creatures were playing around in his stomach. He wondered if this was what Raph felt like when he'd accidentally swallowed the Squirrelnoids. Mikey couldn't remember an animal entering his mouth at any point during the day, but maybe he'd have Donnie check him out later just to be safe.

For now though, he was going to bask in the moment with his best friend.


	16. Hot Cocoa

_**The new Ninja Turtle movie was amazing and way better than the first one. **_

**Chapter 16: Hot Cocoa**

Karai furrowed her dark brows together as her amber eyes glared down at the marked paper in her lap with utmost resentment. She pursed her ruby lips together as she marked another tally across the sheet and attempted to keep herself calm. Unable to keep her anger at bay, she hurled the parchment onto her desk and growled out in frustration before she stood up and paced around her dim chamber.

Nearly a month had passed since she'd spoken with Leo about the Kraang's plan involving that clumsy blonde girl and her missing mother, and she'd expected to have seen some results by now. She'd been out every night to see if the pathetic human teen was even remotely improving, but unfortunately Karai had barely had the chance to observe her. When she did, the turtles were always around and doing all the fighting themselves while their new pet just hovered around with her weapon drawn, her presence similar to a spooked bunny who was surrounded by a pack of wolves. Time was running out, and while Karai wasn't necessarily somebody who was easily nervous, she had to admit that the thought of her life being in jeopardy by a whole fleet of aliens was enough to make even her continuously worry.

Ever since she'd mouthed off to Shredder, Karai and her father had barely exchanged a word to each other. She couldn't claim to be upset about not conversing with him, but she was still furious about him not taking her worries seriously. He was so obsessed with getting revenge that he couldn't see the bigger picture. He was stubborn and seemed to believe only his thoughts and ideals were correct, which was probably why he'd sent his two stupid henchmen, or rather, slaves, after her. She had pretended not to notice them trailing after her whenever she went out at night, but being raised by Shredder had given her the advantage of having heightened senses and perception. She had played their little game for a while, but now it was just getting old.

Next time she saw them, she was going to make sure they stopped following her.

Karai needed to confront Leo about what was going on, and if he actually had a plan. If not, then she was going to do things her way, whether he liked it or not. She didn't have time to sit around and day dream about being a hero and fighting off the disgusting brain-resembling aliens. Something needed to be done, and soon.

**[][][]**

"Again!"

Chest heaving and face slick with sweat, Noelle took her position next to Mikey while Donnie and Leo stood on the opposite side without a single drop of perspiration visible on their reptilian bodies. Splinter monitored the fight with careful attention, his eyes trained and ears twitching to indicate how closely he was watching. April and Raph sat off to the side, observing every thrown punch and kick with studious gazes. The redhead could see how the other teen girl was exhausted, and remembered her own group fights that left her aching, but it was because of those grueling sessions that she'd come so far.

"Come on. You've got this," April whispered with her fingers crossed.

Over the last week Noelle's fighting had improved immensely. She'd been partnered with everybody at least twice to learn teamwork and how each person specifically functioned during a fight. She believed in working together, but the first few training sessions hadn't felt like she was even on a team. She'd been focused on sparring with only April while the brothers would go right after each other, so she was put at a disadvantage when Splinter suddenly instructed her and April to fight the boys instead. Needless to say, both sides were hesitant about the idea, as the guys really weren't too keen on the possibility of hurting their female friends. April could handle getting some bruises, but Noelle seemed so innocent that the idea of leaving a mark on her made the turtles apprehensive about the whole thing. In the end, Leo had given her the first bruise by holding back his strength as he knocked her over with a gentle kick to the back. She'd been shocked and terrified at first, and Mikey was a little angry about it, but she understood that it was necessary if she wanted to learn. When she punched Raph in the arm she freaked out, thinking he would be peeved, but instead, he grinned at her proudly, and her confidence only grew from there.

"Hajime!"

Although exhausted, Noelle forced herself to charge ahead before she jumped off to the side and aimed a kick at Donnie's stomach. The lanky turtle blocked her blow with ease before he briskly spun around and pushed her backwards.

"I've got ya!" Mikey called out as he ran to his partner's side and caught her before she could land on the floor. She tiredly smiled at him in gratitude before Leo vaulted towards them and attempted to pin his youngest brother to the ground. Noelle saw what was happening and jumped in the way with her fists raised up. She winced as Leo's fist flew toward her face, her eyes tightly squeezing shut with a little squeak as she waited for the inevitable pain. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes and noticed that Leo had pulled his punch back only an inch away from her face.

"Nice job covering your partner there," the leader complimented as he lowered his hand. "You might want to focus on your opponents movement so you can dodge or retaliate instead of standing around with your eyes shut."

Mikey patted Noelle on the back and beamed at her gratefully. "You totally saved me dude. Thanks!"

"Leonardo is right. You must pay attention to the way your opponent moves if you wish to avoid being injured." Splinter stroked his thin beard and smiled. "Perhaps we should begin the process of having one-on-one fights. You will not always have somebody around to help you during combat, so you must learn how to defend yourself, especially when you do not have a weapon at your disposal."

"H-hai Sensei." Noelle bowed her head and watched a droplet of sweat drip off her forehead and land on the mat. She personally didn't feel ready to fight somebody on her own, but it was just something she absolutely had to learn whether she liked it or not. He was right after all; there might come a time when nobody would be around to help her, and she'd be in trouble. She was simply going to have to push herself extra hard.

"We will work on that next time. Training is over tonight, so you may all go clean up."

The students respectfully bowed their heads to their sensei before splitting up to go do their own things. Splinter simpered at Noelle and affectionately patted her shoulder. "You have come a long way. You should be proud."

She shyly returned the smile, blushing over the compliment. "Thank you. I hope to improve."

"You will my child. Have patience."

"Yes sir."

He nodded to signal the end of their discussion before he seated himself in front of the dojo's tree and closed his eyes to initiate his daily meditation. Not wanting to disturb him, Noelle quietly left the room and grabbed her duffel bag that she'd set on one of the bean bag chairs. Usually she'd shower before heading home, but she decided to just do so at her dad's place.

Felix had left for Texas earlier that day. Just like before, he didn't wake her up, nor did he give her a hug to say goodbye the evening before. By that point, Noelle had stopped getting her hopes up about him showing some sort of affection towards her. She just numbly accepted that his job was really important to him, and that she should be grateful that he even let her stay at his house at all. She knew he wouldn't call her to say he missed her or even check up on her mother being found. He was gone, and she was alone once again.

She slipped on her coat and bid goodbye to everybody with her bag slung over her shoulder. Noelle wasn't in the mood to stick around and talk to her friends, which made her feel really guilty, but the only way she knew how to deal with being sad was to just hole herself up in her after being friends with the turtles and April for a couple months, she still refused to cry around them, no matter how much Splinter had encouraged her to. Her melancholy attitude must have shown in her eyes because Mikey was suddenly in front of her with a concerned expression.

"Hey, are you okay?"

_"No, I'm not,"_ she wanted to say, but instead she forced a smile and nodded to reassure him. "Yeah, thank you. Today was just a little exhausting so I'm going to head home and get some sleep. Good night." Noelle promptly turned and ambled away before he could even offer to escort her home. Mikey's eyes followed her slouched over figure with confused apprehension. Something heavy was weighing on her mind, and for some reason she wasn't willing to share it with anybody, even him.

April bit her lower lip as she watched the scene play out, her arms folded across her chest as she traipsed over to the freckled turtle's side. "She's been like this all day. I think her dad left this morning and didn't say goodbye again."

Mikey glanced at the redhead with widened eyes. "Again?! He's done this before?"

"Yeah. It isn't really my business to tell, but maybe you should check on her? Just... give her some time to herself first, okay? She's probably used to just dealing with things by herself."

His heart felt a little sad as he pictured her crying softly to herself without having anybody to talk to, and in a way it made him feel a little angry as well. "She shouldn't have to be so alone. don't get that dude. Does he just not care if she's sad?"

April shrugged sadly as they both stared at the empty tunnels in front of them. "I don't know Mikey, I really don't."

**[][][]**

The hot water washed away all her sweat as Noelle stood in the shower with her fists pressed against the wall and tears streaming down her cheeks. The hurt hadn't hit her until she'd arrived back to the empty house and saw that he hadn't left her any text messages or voice mail to inform her that he'd arrived safely or was sorry for not saying goodbye again. It had been a while since she'd cried so hard, so in a way she felt better after sobbing her brains out. She had a little pity party as she shampooed her hair and scrubbed her body, telling herself repeatedly that she couldn't understand why her dad seemed to not care about her. She just didn't understand why he couldn't give her a hug goodbye like other dads did to their children, or why he didn't even bother to ask how she was holding up with her mom missing for so long. He didn't question her when she returned late, or ask how her day at school been. It just really hurt to be so ignored.

She felt more relaxed after stepping out of the shower and putting her comfy pajamas on. She blow-dried her hair, wrapped a robe around her, and then headed downstairs to prepare some hot chocolate. Tomorrow was Saturday, so Noelle was planning to stay up later and work on a new sketch she'd had stuck in her mind for a while now.

"Yo, Noelle! You around here?"

The blonde froze in surprise as Mikey's voice called down the stairs to her. She'd just checked her phone and there weren't any messages from him indicating that he was coming over, but she couldn't say she was upset about him suddenly showing up. He'd done so before, and honestly, the idea of being alone at the moment wasn't a really appealing thought.

"I'm down here!" Noelle responded as she reached into the cupboards for another mug and packet of cocoa. As she turned to the fridge to grab more milk Mikey popped out from around the corner, his eyes instantly lighting up with delight when he noticed what she was doing.

"Ooh, hot chocolate?"

"Of course." She smiled and set both mugs into the microwave for one minute and thirty seconds before she leaned back against the counter, unsure of what to really say. She just had a lot on her mind, and she felt guilty that Mikey had come over when she was clearly not in her happiest mindset.

Mikey frowned when he noticed her just somberly staring at the floor. He really disliked it when she was sad, and what was worse was that she probably wouldn't really talk to him about it because she didn't know how. For some reason, she had apparently convinced herself that nobody wanted to listen to her

Noelle took a deep breath before she raised her eyes to meet his. "Hey, would you like to sit on the roof with me? I used to do it when I was younger and it always made me feel really relaxed."

The freckled teen didn't even think about her request. "Well yeah! Girl, you know I'll chill with you anywhere!"

She giggled as the microwave beeped and she turned to take the steaming cups out. "Thank you Mikey. I'll get you a blanket, okay?"

"For what?"

"It's pretty cold out. Doesn't that really affect turtles?"

"Oh, uh, I guess so. It does feel a little frosty out tonight." Mikey took the mug carefully from Noelle's hand, trying not to twitch as the heat blissfully warmed his cold hands up. He hadn't even really realized how freezing he was until Noelle mentioned something to him. "You're not even a turtle and you knew that? Totally super smart!"

She chuckled once again as she went into the living room and grabbed a thick blanket for him. She draped it over her right shoulder and began her mini escalation of the stairs, gesturing with a brief nod of her head for him to follow. Mikey stepped up after her while he made sure a single drop didn't spill from his drink. The hallway floor creaked as they strolled across it towards the window adjacent to the bathroom.

Noelle slid the window frame up and climbed out of it, painstakingly lifting and lowering her legs to make sure she didn't burn herself with the hot chocolate or stain her dad's blanket. "For some reason there was already a balcony here," she explained, standing off to the side so Mikey could get on the platform with her. A small set of stairs led up to the rooftop. "I'm pretty happy they're here though. I always liked to come up here and watch the stars and city lights."

"I can't believe I just now noticed these! This is sweet!" The energetic turtle bounded up the steps after her with a grin on his face. "I'm kinda jelly now."

"Kind of jelly?" The blonde laughed and sat down so that her legs dangled over the edge. "That's a strange one."

Mikey plopped down beside her. "Well, the Internet is a pretty weird place, ya know?"

"That sounds like a true statement," Noelle agreed before she pulled the blanket off her shoulder and handed it to Mikey. He cheerfully wrapped the material around himself and breathed a sigh of relief as warmth permeated into his lime-green reptilian skin. When he noticed Noelle in just her robe, he scooted closer to her and draped the cloth around her as well. She didn't reject the offer, but she bashfully looked away as her face grew warm.

"It's warmer this way, right?" the teenage terrapin contently stated before he glanced up at the sky and focused on the stars. "Man, these are super pretty."

Pushing her self-conscious thoughts aside, Noelle peered up at the celestial sphere with him and felt herself smile. "Yeah, they are. I love the night sky. The universe must be a beautiful place." She shivered as a gentle breeze caressed her ivory face, and Mikey slid closer so that their legs were pressed together, causing her to close her eyes and embrace the heat his body emitted. The mutant lowered his eyes away from the night sky and eyed his best friend as she focused on the city below, her lips pressed firmly together like she had something to say.

"You know," Mikey began, "Master Splinter always said that talking about how you feel helps bring peace to your mind." Noelle silently stared at the drink in her lap. "I don't like it when you look so sad, so if you can, please talk to me?" His voice and eyes were pleading with her, and she found she couldn't say no to him. Besides, Mikey was somebody she could always count on. He had never let her down before, and after going through so much effort to make her day brighter by flying them to the Statue of Liberty, the least she could do was be honest with him about her feelings.

**[The Amazing Spiderman- Rooftop Kiss]**

She took a deep breath before she began to speak."I've always been seen as weird by people in school because of how quiet and shy I am." Noelle's eyes fixedly watched the steam swirling off her hot chocolate as an attempt to distract her from the nerves spinning in her stomach. "Even now, I have a hard time communicating with people, but I guess that's kind of my fault. My parents were more interested in their work than me, so I ended up turning to art as an escape from life." She smiled fondly as she recalled the first painting she'd ever done, and just how proud her grandmother had been. "My grandma is a very talented artist. I used to watch her paint all the time, and eventually I just became so fascinated by the beautiful things she brought to life on canvas that I ended up doing the same thing. I was unhappy with being ignored all the time, and when my parents ended up getting a divorce I was devastated." The corners of her lips turned down as she timidly glanced over at Mikey, who had been listening to every word intently. "Art brought me happiness, but it also caused me to withdraw myself away from everybody. My dad still doesn't talk to me; he even left for his trip without saying goodbye. I can't remember the last time my parents hugged me or even told me they loved me. That's why I'm so shy. I don't know how to communicate anymore, and it makes me feel lonely and helpless."

Mikey remained morosely silent as Noelle gradually sipped from her cup, her fingers trembling at having gathered enough courage to tell somebody the thoughts she'd always kept to herself. For years he had always been jealous of the world above the sewers, assuming that the people who were able to walk through the streets among each other were safe from harsh judgement and possessed freedom. Besides the small packs of thugs and occasional homeless person, the world had to be a happy place, at least better than being cooped up in the lair every day. He realized that his assumptions were incorrect, and that even somebody who had a "normal" life could be just as isolated from society as somebody who lived underground.

"You wanna know something? My bros are really great guys, but they sometimes make me feel like I'm a joke." Noelle sympathetically gazed at Mikey, and he just wistfully simpered at her. "I make a lot of mistakes, but I don't mean to. I've been stuck in the sewers for so long that I just get really curious, so whenever I see a button I want to push it, which usually sets off an alarm or sends something bad after us." He chortled over the bad luck he and his brothers usually had, most of which was his fault.. "I like to make my brothers laugh with pranks and stuff, but most of the time they just get mad and call me an idiot, so I guess I kinda accepted that." His blue eyes twinkled as he remembered the time he'd spent helping Noelle pack, and how she'd said the one thing he hadn't been told by anybody else before. Every time her words rang in his mind he always felt better because he knew she'd been completely sincere. "At least, until you told me that I wasn't one."

"I m-meant it, you know." Her cheeks turned pink at the smile he displayed for her. "You're my best friend."

Mikey grinned and playfully nudged her slender arm with his shoulder. "You're my best friend too."

A flash of light across the sky caught their attention. Noelle's eyes lit up in excitement and she clapped her hands together in a moment of childish delight. "A shooting star! Mikey, you have to make a wish!" She instantly squeezed her eyes shut as she thought what she desired for most.

The terrapin jovially did as she said. He'd heard about shooting stars before but had never actually seen one. He closed his eyes like her, but he already knew what he wanted. He'd actually known it for quite a while.

"I wish Noelle would never change."

The blonde's lids flew up as she gaped at him, touched that he didn't think she was some freak. For the longest time she thought that maybe her parents didn't talk to her because they couldn't stand her, that maybe she was part of the reason their marriage crumbled to nothing. Now she realized that she'd had no control over the situation, and for the first time ever, she really was content with being herself. "You're supposed to think of it and not tell anybody, but that's okay." Noelle reached over and squeezed his hand without thinking to show how grateful she was. "My wish is that you would never change too."

Mikey grinned and closed his own hand over her thin fingers. "Well don't worry, because the Mikeynator is here to stay!" he declared so proudly that she burst into laughter. There was a moment when their eyes met, and suddenly the laughter dissipated. They stared at each other as a strange feeling took hold of their bodies, one that was nauseating and yet wonderful at the time. When Noelle noticed that they were holding hands, she blushed and instinctively looked away. Mikey realized that he must be sick due to the warmth in his face, so he promised himself to go see Donnie as soon as he went home so he could get some medicine.

Unable to deal with the unfamiliar atmosphere, Noelle stood up and grabbed her cup. "I, uh, think I might go to sleep now, if you don't mind."

Mikey rose onto his feet as well, confused as to why things had just felt so pleasantly awkward. "Oh, hey, no problemo. I'll see ya tomorrow for training?"

"Yeah. Yes. I mean, I will see you training tomorrow, I mean for training tomorrow." She wanted to smack herself for stuttering so much and messing up a single sentence that should've been so simple to say.

Mikey shuffled his feet and played around with his fingers"Alright. Well, thanks for the awesome drink and blanket! See ya later!" The turtle handed the cup and blanket to her before he waved and prepared to drop to the street below. With a second thought, he hurried back over to Noelle and pulled her in for a quick hug before he finally jumped down to the alley. Noelle watched him go around the building and wave once more before he lifted the manhole covered and entered into the sewers, leaving her shaking with ecstatic nerves.

She took a deep breath and gazed up at the stars, breathing in the evening breeze to clear her thoughts and calm her heart down. She had no idea what was going on with her, but one thing was abundantly clear: she needed to talk to April and figure out what was going on. If anybody could help her, it was the redhead. If not, then she'd turn to Donatello, though the idea of going to him for advice on feeling strange around his baby brother did sound a little nerve wrecking. Still, she couldn't hep the smile that spread across her lips as she thought about their moment with the shooting star, and how they'd managed to somehow make the same wish. Noelle had never seen one before, and she was glad that her first time viewing it had been with Mikey.

**[+]**

She wrapped the blanket tightly around her and carefully stepped down the roof stairs with both cups in one grip. Once she was through the window she dropped the blanket into a temporary spot on the hallway floor and went into the kitchen to wash the mugs out. Content with how things were going wonderfully in her life, she hummed a melody from a beautiful instrumental piece she'd listened to earlier on her way to class. That was really the only good thing about taking the subway; it gave her time to be lost in her thoughts while music played.

When the cups had been dried and put away, Noelle climbed back up the steps towards her room as she thought about what to draw before bed. Remembering the blanket she'd discarded on the floor, she picked it up and wrapped it around her shoulders. It faintly smelt like the sewers, which oddly enough didn't disgust her anymore. Of course, if somebody else had taken a whiff of the material they probably would've been appalled, but she'd rather grown used to it. The smell actually made her happy because it reminded her of her new family, and the fact that the scent had come from Mikey made her even more cheerful before she shuddered and realized that she sounded rather strange and creepy. To avoid questions from her father, she dropped the blanket down the laundry chute outside of the bathroom and headed back into her room.

Her cheerful attitude metamorphosed into fear when Noelle reached her doorway, immediately stiffening up at the uninvited person sitting contently on her bed.

"Welcome back. Did you and your boyfriend have a good time?" Karai's scarlet lips widened into a teasing smile as she raised one leg over the other and folded her arms over her metal-plated chest. She seemed to be enjoying the panic that escalated across the blonde's face. "What, you weren't expecting me?"

Noelle swallowed nervously and hesitantly entered her room, unsure of what Shredder's adopted daughter wanted with her. She ignored the boyfriend remark and focused on the situation instead, her eyes scanning around for a weapon in case she needed to defend herself.

Karai laughed and stood up when she noticed the blonde's eyes warily shifting around. "Chill out. I'm not here to fight you. I actually need you to give Leo a message for me."

"A message?" The shy teen owlishly blinked at the request. "About what?"

"I need him to meet me somewhere. Text or call him on your little weird phone and tell him to meet me at the fair grounds outside the Fun House. I need to talk to him about something important, but my father's annoying henchmen keep following me around." Karai huffed out in irritation while Noelle's eyes widened in fear.

"Did they follow you here?"

The female ninja shrugged. "I don't know. It's possible. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. They don't even know who you are. Anyways, can you give that message to Leo for me?"

Noelle took a deep breath and wordlessly nodded.

"Thanks. I'm sure we'll meet again." Karai slipped her metal mask over her mouth and impressively flipped backwards through the window, leaving behind a slightly worried girl with a pounding heart. She peeked out her window to look for any signs of somebody watching her before she lowered the window pane and locked it. Not wanting to take a chance, Noelle closed the blinds and wasted no time in grabbing her phone to get a hold of the oldest terrapin.

If anything would calm her down, then it would be knowing her friends had her back.

**[][][]**

Donnie stuck his tongue out in concentration as he carefully used a pipet to squeeze a drop of green ooze into a beaker containing red liquid. He closely observed the container for any sort of reaction, but couldn't seem to make out anything significant occurring. He didn't take his eyes off the substance as he proceeded to gently squeeze out another drop. When nothing happened again, he took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair.

He was getting closer and closer to finding a cure for April's dad. Even though she had forgiven him and his brothers for accidentally dropping ooze containers onto the streets of New York, one of which mutated Mr. O'Neil, Donnie was still overcome with guilt. Because of him she had lost her father once more, and that was something that shouldn't have happened. He spent countless nights in his lab, working tirelessly to discover some sort of treatment that would bring Kirby back to his human senses and be reunited with his daughter. All the hours of sleep Donnie lost would be worth it in the end if he could make April happy. She deserved to be after everything she'd been through.

He hunched over his desk again and eagerly went to squeeze the pipet's dropper, hoping that maybe this time there would be a change. "Come on," he whispered encouragingly to the little drop that was beginning to inch out of the tube's opening. "You can do it."

"Donnie! I think something's wrong with me!"

Mikey's screeching voice caught Donnie off guard, prompting him to lose hold of the pipet and drop it into the beaker. The container exploded as smoke erupted from the failed mixture, earning a horrified yell from the scientist. The door to his lab slammed open as Mikey frantically bolted right through with his hands clutching the sides of his head.

"D! I need your help man! I'm feeling-uh, bro?" The young turtle watched his older brother with cautious eyes as Donnie lividly glared at him.

"Do you have any idea WHAT YOU JUST DID?!" the scientist bellowed out with flames fanning out of his form. Blue eyes traveled around the room as Mikey tried to think of what he could have possibly done this time. When he saw the broken beaker, his eyes warily met Donnie's as he shuffled his feet.

"Well, it looks like you just broke something. Did I stop you from cleaning the mess up or something? My bad."

Donnie turned around and began counting to ten underneath his breath. He loved Mikey, he really did, but this was one of those moments where he seriously wanted to scream at his little brother until he was turquoise in the face. He knew that he himself was mostly to blame for being so easily freaked out by the loud noise and not holding onto the dropper a little tighter. Besides, Mikey genuinely seemed worried, and there was still more ooze around to experiment with. He could spare a few moments for his younger brother.

With a calmer face he rotated his form around, only to be genuinely surprised when he saw Mikey already sitting on the medical chair with his feet kicking and eyes glued to the floor. Donnie felt mildly concerned over the freckled reptile's quiet behavior. "What's the problem?" he inquired as he grabbed his stethoscope and sauntered over to the chair in front of Mikey. He took a seat and waited patiently for an answer.

"Ever since the Halloween dance, I've felt like I had a fever," the orange-banded turtle began to explain in an unnerved voice. "And it's not just that either! My stomach feels all gross and my heart goes super fast and I just feel weird."

"And you say this has been happening since Halloween?" Donnie asked as he placed the stethoscope's ear buds over his ear canals and moved the silver circle over his brother's plastron.

"Dude, it's really weird! I was fine until I started dancing with Noelle, and then we went outside and chilled for a little but I ended up kinda feeling worse."

The lanky brother noticed that Mikey's heart rate had suddenly increased. He raised his brow ridges. "Worse how?"

"Oh, uh, my face felt super hot, and..." His eyes widened in horror as his voice trailed off. "Donnie! Bro! You gotta check my stomach! I think there might be Squirrelnoids in there!" His voice was high-pitched in terror at the thought that those freaky creatures were running around in his stomach.

Donnie's mouth widened as he took in all of his brother's symptoms. He had an idea of what was going on, but needed to double-check, so he moved the chest piece around until it was directly over the heart muscle. "Hey Mikey, how are you and Noelle doing? Do you enjoy you time with her?"

At the mention of the blonde's name, Mikey's face lit up with a wide grin. "Well yeah! She's my best friend. Dude, you should've totally seen her face when we went to Lady Liberty. The view was awesome, and she was so happy that she actually gave me a hug! It was the cutest thing ever! Oh, and tonight we drank hot cocoa on her dad's roof and saw a shooting star together." His cerulean eyes seemed to glow. "She's amazing. I'm so glad I met her."

Donnie nonchalantly pulled the stethoscope away and stared at his little brother in complete awe. Just talking about Noelle had caused Mikey's heart to pound at an above normal pace, and there was red evident on his face that darkened through his green skin. Donnie understood what Mikey was feeling all-too well because it was something he still went through whenever April was around.

"My stomach is feeling weird again, D!" Mikey dramatically cried out. "What's going on with me?"

The gangling terrapin awkwardly cleared his throat as he considered how to phrase his answer. He almost wanted to laugh at how oblivious Mikey was being, but he also knew that now was the time for him to be a supportive older brother and try to help the normally silly turtle out. Emotions could be a complicated thing to explain, especially in terms where he couldn't use large words without confusing anybody. He decided that Mikey needed to discover it on his own.

"It's just puberty. You'll be fine. It's part of growing up."

Mikey groaned. "Seriously? Growing up stinks. I don't want to get old."

Donnie laughed as he went to put his supplies away. "Yeah, it can, but it'll all be worth it in the end."

"I doubt it," the freckled terrapin huffed. "Do you think it's happening to Noelle too?"

The lanky reptile turned around so Mikey wouldn't see his eyes twinkle. "Oh, I'm sure she is. In fact, I'm going through it as well, and so is Leo." He blushed as he thought of April, and wondered if maybe she was experiencing the same thing as he was. It was just hard to tell with her sometimes.

"Oh man, what a relief! I was worried I was turning into a mutant or something. Phew!"

Donnie gaped, amazed at how his little brother continued to amaze him with his simple mind. "You're already a mutant."

Mikey shrieked and rubbed his face. "It's too late! What'll Noelle think of me now?! Oh man, this stinks so bad!" Just as he slumped on the ground and whined, the lab door burst open to reveal a frustrated Leo. He was followed closely behind by Raph and Casey, who had joined him on the late-night patrol.

"Noelle just called me," the leader explained with a serious gaze. Mikey stopped the act and stood straight, his eyes searching Leo's for any sort of clue as to what was going on. "Karai was just at her place."

"She's okay, right?" the freckled terrapin worriedly inquired. A comforting hand was placed on his shoulder by Donnie. "Please tell me she is!"

"She said no harm was done," Leo reassured. "Apparently Karai just wanted Noelle to pass a message on to me. I'm supposed to meet her at the fair near the docks to talk about something, which I'm assuming has to do with the Kraang."

"Of course you're going to go meet that psycho," Raph scoffed. "You can never just stay away, can you?"

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save Earth, even if it means meeting her in some abandoned place," Leo calmly defended. "Besides, I won't be alone. Casey, I want you to wait nearby in case it's a trap. I don't think it will be, but we can't be too sure."

Mikey felt extremely anxious as he thought about his best friend being home alone. He wanted to make sure she was okay, and not just through a text message or phone call. "I'm going to go make sure Noelle's doing alright."

The leader opened his mouth in protest before he closed it and saw how worried his little brother was. Mikey and Noelle were really close, and he knew that if something had happened to Karai he'd be worried as well, even though their friendship was of a different sort. It was more out of respect for skill than the desire to enjoy each other's presence, but he really did care about her.

He remembered how their new friend's voice had wavered even though she tried so hard to sound strong. He needed to be honest with his brothers and come up with a plan on making sure she remained safe. "Donnie, Noelle was worried about Shredder's henchmen or the Kraang finding out where she lived. I know this sounds like a breach of privacy, but can you work on at least a couple cameras to make sure we can keep an eye on her? Some sort of alarm would be helpful too, and we'll tell her about them so she won't have to worry about us invading her personal space."

"Got it. I should be finished by tomorrow," Donnie confirmed with a head nod before he briskly moved to his work desk and began pulling out supplies.

"Good. Raph and Mikey, go over to Noelle's and make sure she is okay. It might be reassuring for all of us if you two see for yourselves how she really is."

"Thanks bro," Mikey gratuitously thanked. Raph gave him a friendly punch in the arm.

"Alright, let's go Mikey," the red-masked reptile encouraged. He exchanged a look with Leo, one that promised he'd make sure both their little brother and Noelle remained safe, and Leo nodded. He watched his brothers determinedly run off before he tilted his head in the same direction. "Ready to go, Case?"

Casey lowered his hockey mask and tapped the hockey stick against his gloved hand, a toothless smirk stretched on his hidden face. "I'm right behind you dude."

**[][][]**

Mikey cajoled from one building rooftop to the next without a moment of hesitation. Noelle's place wasn't far from the lair, but he didn't want to leave her alone for too long. Awful scenarios crossed his mind continuously, each one far worse than the last. He couldn't imagine how he'd feel if Shredder or one of his goonies reached her before he did, so he briskly vaulted over alley gaps and kept his eyes alert and ahead in case he spotted Splinter's enemy.

Raph was amazed at how hasty his little brother was moving. He was just as worried about Noelle, but he was pretty sure she was perfectly safe and unharmed. After all, she'd called Leo and assured that nothing had happened to her, but for some reason Mikey was acting extremely panicked. Noelle wasn't the most skilled fighter, but he felt confident enough that she'd at least gained enough confidence in combat that she could use anything as a weapon and defend herself long enough for the brothers to arrive. Then again, if she had been fighting, then there was a good chance she'd actually been hurt.

Suddenly, Raph was just as worried.

The two reached her home in record time. Mikey dropped down to Noelle's bedroom window and peered in, relief filling his chest when he saw her sitting in bed and drawing in her sketchpad. She had her earphones in and was completely oblivious to the terrapins lurking outside her window.

"See, she looks fine," Raph declared, secretly grateful that the blonde hadn't been harmed. "Come on, let's get back to the lair."

Mikey didn't move an inch. "She isn't okay. She's just drawing like a robot. Usually there is this happy look on her face, but she's barely even looking at the paper. I bet she's still a little freaked out." Before Raph could even get a word in, his brother rapped against the glass until Noelle glanced up from her drawing, her eyes softening in alleviation at her friends' arrival. She set her book and pencil off to the side as she crawled over the mattress and lifted the window pane up. She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced when Mikey encircled his arms around her protectively. The blonde laid her head on his shoulder as she welcomed the hug and basked in the feeling of safety.

"Yo, you okay?" Raph asked as the two pulled apart. He felt like he was around April and Donnie with the hugging and private moments that made things suddenly really awkward for him. Sometimes it was enough just to make him want to gag.

Noelle flushed at how uncomfortable the red-banded hothead appeared and gradually pulled away from her best friend to avoid seeming rude. She smiled at him to show she was happy to see him as well. "I'm fine, thank you. I didn't mean to create a panic or anything."

"Karai didn't hurt you, right?" Mikey asked in a concerned tone. He searched her face and arms for any evidence of bruising or scratches.

She hastily shook her head and rested her hands on her lap. "I promise she didn't. She just wanted me to pass a message on to Leo, so I did. I was only worried that she found out where I lived. I know this isn't fair to her, but I can't help worrying that maybe she was followed or seen by somebody, and the thought that I'm at my dad's house scares me into thinking that he might somehow be hurt. I'm being silly."

"Aw dude, no you're not," Mikey assured her with a pat on the head. "The Shredder is a scary guy, and it's pretty sweet that you're thinking about your dad like that."

"Plus, Donnie is working on hooking up some cameras and a security system in your home so we can rush over as soon as something happens. You can probably even choose where the cameras go so it's as creepy," Raph chimed in. When Noelle and Mikey laughed, he couldn't prevent the smirk from spreading on his face. He felt pretty pleased with himself that he'd made them both relax and stop worrying.

"Thank you, but I promise I'll be fine."

"You sure? I'll stay longer if you want," Mikey suggested. "It's no problem, for real."

The blonde felt her heart race at the thought, and even considered his offer for a moment before she dismissed the idea from her mind. She really liked being around him, but he shouldn't have to stay by her side because she was a little anxious. Besides, she now felt more at ease and was certain she could finally fall asleep. "I'll be okay. Thank you for offering though."

Mikey nodded and gave her one last hug before he slid the rest of his body outside the window to join Raph. "Okay. Nighty night then!" He waved and ascended up the wall, choosing to return home by rooftop instead of dropping down into the nearby sewer. The other terrapin gave her a thumbs-up before he also scaled to the top, leaving Noelle alone with her thoughts. She closed her eyes and breathed in the night air, feeling the nervous tension leave right away. She was grateful to have the brothers looking out after her, and only hoped that the meeting between Leo and Karai went over smoothly.

"Good night," she whispered before she closed her window pane and went to turn out the light. As Noelle snuggled beneath the sheets in her darkened room, content and cozy, she was completely unaware of the two pairs of eyes watching her every move from the shadows.


	17. Spark

_**I received a lot of awesome reviews last chapter, so thank you all so much for it! I'll probably come back and edit this at some point, but I know you guys have been waiting a while so here it is! Enjoy!**_

**Chapter 17: Spark**

Leonardo cautiously wandered through the silent amusement park in full-alert mode, his fingers hovering over the handles of his Katana as his azure eyes scanned vacant rides and game booths for any sign of Karail. So far, she had failed to show herself, but Leo knew better than to assume she wasn't nearby. She was just as skilled at blending in with the shadows as he was, not to mention that even with her armor on she still managed to slide around like a serpent and avoid detection.

Casey watched closely from his spot behind the haunted house, his hockey stick banging absentmindedly against an open palm in case backup was needed for the possible trap. Leo might be foolish enough to trust the malicious daughter of Shredder, but Casey Jones wasn't an idiot when it came to naively trusting backstabbers, especially when one of his friends felt freaked out by said person. He spit off to the side and lowered his body down, ready for action at a moment's notice.

"Leonardo, over here."

The blue-banded terrapin relaxed when he heeded her voice, but refused to lower his guard, his grip only tightening over his Katanas' handles. "Where are you?"

"Inside the Fun House. Turns out there's an interesting little Hall of Mirrors here."

Leo frowned at the challenging tone in her voice. "I'm not here to play games. You said you wanted to speak to me, so start talking."

"Ugh, very well." Karai dropped down from the second floor and landed gracefully on her feet. She formed a mock pout on her lower lip and folded her arms over her chest. "Not one for a good time, are you?"

"Not when you scared my friend to death," he sharply retaliated in impatience. "Now, why am I here?"

The ruby-lipped teen scowled at his accusation. "It's her fault she freaks out so easily, but we'll save that for some other boring time. Right now, I need to hear what it is you're exactly doing about this whole Kraang thing."

_Ah, so that's what this was all about_. Leo sighed, wishing he could offer a satisfying answer. "We've been training her-"

"Training? That's it? Seriously?" Golden orbs narrowed sharply in disapproval. "You're telling me that after all this time you haven't even found where the Kraang are hiding?! What kind of Leader are you?"

"We're doing the best we can!" Leo shot back. "We'll be setting up cameras and tracking devices across the city while we continue to improve Noelle's skills, but until then we can't really do anything."

Karai heatedly bit her lower lip and clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. She had foolishly believed that Leo would've done something productive by now, whether that involved discovering the Kraang's concealed base or setting up some sort of plan to demolish whatever place the sleazeballs concealed themselves in. She inhaled and then exhaled to calm her rising temper, refusing to speak until her mind was at a reasonable state of serenity. Once she'd regained control of her emotions, she voiced the concern that had plagued her mind for many sleepless nights.

"According to you, we are supposed to die in under two months, which, believe it or not, I don't want to happen. Therefore, something needs to change if we even want to have a chance at saving our planet. I say we use the girl as bait to draw the aliens out and follow them back to their disgusting little sanctuary."

Leo had to admit, but with reluctance, that her plan was pretty clever. Not only would they be able to find the Kraang's headquarters, but there was also the chance that Noelle's mom would be rescued. He was sorely tempted to just go with the idea, but that would risk the blonde's safety. He wasn't willing to take that chance.

"I won't do anything to endanger her," he firmly responded. "She's been through enough."

"Then what is the whole point of training her? You'd rather endanger the world instead of her because she lost her mom? Well guess what Leo? She isn't the only one who lost a parent, and she won't be the last, so you better do something to put a stop to this end-of-the-world crap or so help me I will." She didn't step back when the Leader stormed up to her and drew out his Katana, the blade pointed threateningly at her.

"You come near her again, we're going to have a problem. I respect you Karai, but I will not hesitate to fight you if you threaten my family again. Do I make myself clear?" he fiercely warned.

Karai bitterly laughed and finally backed off. "Oh, you mean like how I'm supposedly your adopted sister? Do you mean that type of family?"

His gaze softened. "Karai-"

"Do something Leo. I'm done messing around." She glowered at him once more before she turned on her heel and sprinted towards the exit. Leo had raised his hand in an attempt to stop her but dropped it as soon as she took off. He didn't know what to say to her anymore, or how to convince her that Splinter really was her biological father. He pitied her, he really did, but if she wasn't willing to listen then he couldn't help her.

Casey abandoned his post and lifted his skull mask off of his painted face, his lips twisted into a frown and brows furrowed together. He'd almost wished that Leo had punched Karai, especially since she'd obviously stated that she was more than willing to sacrifice Noelle's safety to save the whole world.

There just _had_ to be another way to stop the invasion that didn't involve harming his friend.

Swallowing his anger, the hockey player stood at the Leader's side and awkwardly shuffled his feet. "Hey, so, uh, we're not going to let Noelle get hurt, right? I'm just saying, because Karai seemed pretty serious."

Leo shook his head, thought whether it was to reassure himself or Casey was uncertain to him. He attempted to keep his head held high as he traipsed towards the nearest sewer entrance while Casey trailed closely behind. "Not if I can help it."

The teenage human wished that he could believe that to be the case, he really did, but he'd learned over time that things were never as easy as they seemed. He trusted Leonardo, but he couldn't help feeling like they had both been cornered against some sort of wall. "So what are we going to do?"

"Honestly, I don't know Casey."

**[][][]**

Moonlight provided the only illumination for the two humanoid henchmen as they ambled down the throne room's walkway and towards their intimidating master. Parallel pools of water serenely glowed on both sides of the path, rippling as the gangling canine and scaled snakehead passed by with heavy footsteps. When the lackeys reached the bottom of the stairs leading up to Shredder's throne, they both knelt and respectfully bowed their heads.

"What do you have to report?" the scarred ninja inquired in his deep baritone voice, already restless from how long his two followers had taken. He glowered brutally at them through the narrow gap of his Kuro Kabuto to remind them not to waste his time as he tapped his fingers in annoyance.

"Master Shredder, we have been following Karai as you ordered, and last night we discovered that a human girl has captured her interest for some strange reason," Razhar growled out while trying to keep his pride hidden. "She's been following the turtles around, so we assumed she was planning their demise, but she is apparently only concerned with their new blonde friend."

Anger spread like tepid fire through the masked-man's blood. His knuckles gripped the arms of his chair so tightly that the solid surface began to crack. "I gave her very specific orders, and yet she disobeyed me," Shredder snarled through clenched teeth. "I will deal with her. Make sure that this little problem is taken care of. I don't care how, just permanently remove that girl or so help me I'll destroy you both!"

"It will be done," Fishface nervously promised before he and his partner bowed and hastily exited to initiate their plan, eager to get away from the seething Oroku Saki. The fuming ninja waited till they were gone before he yelled out in frustration and punched the nearest wall until chunks of rock crumbled to the ground.

"So help me Karai I'll make sure you _never_ disobey me again."

**[][][]**

"So, what do you think? Pretty nice, huh?"

Noelle beamed in agreement. "That's amazing Donnie. I can't thank you enough for helping me out."

She stood behind the turtle genius in her dad's kitchen while they both focused on all three television monitors set on the dining table. Donatello had showed up earlier with Mikey to install three miniature cameras throughout the house, and Noelle had assisted in picking out the locations so she could feel more comfortable with her privacy. One of the lens had been placed in the ceiling and pointed at her bedroom door, which she could shut or leave open whenever she felt comfortable enough to be seen. The second device was aimed at her front door from above the television screen, and the final camera was below the kitchen cabinets to secure a decent angle of the room. She giggled as she watched Mikey stand outside of her bedroom and make faces at the camera.

"Mikey, you need to come down here! We have something to go over!" Donnie called out, not having to wait long as the sound of running footsteps on stairs echoed through the silent house. The freckled terrapin skipped cheerfully into the room and settled on the opposite side of his older brother with an open can of orange soda in his hand.

"Waddup D?"

Donnie reached into the strap secured around his waist and pulled out his T-Phone. "Alright, Noelle, I need you to look at your device's screen for a moment." The blonde did as he said, unsure of what she was even supposed to be looking for. Noticing her confused expression, the purple-banded brother pointed at the phone's screen, which seemed exactly the same as before. He rapidly tapped on the "Games" symbol four times before the word "Alert" showed up in bright ivory letters. "You don't seem like the type to play around on your phone so I changed the option to something more useful and encrypted. Hit the T on this when it shows up, and it'll alert all of us, including April." To demonstrate, he poked the specific letter, prompting both his and Mikey's phones to vibrate.

Mikey laughed at the sensation before he pulled his own mobile device out and pressed it against the side of his face. "Myyy nameee isss Mikkkkkkeeeeyyyyy."

Donnie rolled his eyes and lowered his phone so both Mikey and Noelle could see. Noelle's name flashed in bright scarlet letters against a clear background. "See how it lets us all know that you're in trouble? The monitors in my lab have been set up with old police car sirens I found in the dump, so when we get the alert the lights will flash as well. It's just there in case I somehow don't know where my phone is, which rarely ever happens."

"Wait, so does that mean your bothers and April think I'm in trouble right now?"

"No way. I alerted them earlier about the little test just so they would know."

"Youuu didn'ttttt alerrrtttt meeeee!"

Donnie snatched the phone away from Mikey's face. "Take this seriously. If you ever feel the phone vibrating like this, then you need to either contact one of us or go into my lair to see what is happening on the monitor. Understand?"

"Pfft, yeah. I'm not stupid, D." Mikey grabbed the phone back and waved his older brother's concerns off. "I mean, it's not hard or anything."

"Your phone will still be in alert mode until I reach you and deactivate it. Our phones will still be vibrating, but it'll soften the closer we get to your location." He let out a sigh and revealed his gap-toothed smile. "Any questions?"

Noelle was completely stunned by how thorough and cautionary the process was. She wondered how he had been able to accomplish so much in one night, and realized with a twinge of guilt that he probably hadn't been able to sleep for very long because of her fear. She bit her lower lip and pressed the phone against her chest. "I'm so sorry that you lost sleep because of this. I really, really appreciate what you've done."

Donnie chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, it's no problem. Besides, it helps us out in a way too. If the Kraang or any of Shredder's goons get too close to you, it'll give us the advantage in taking them out, or maybe even slipping some locator device on them that could lead us to your mom. Anyways, I don't always get that much sleep. Sometimes I just get too absorbed in my work and end up crashing in the lab."

Mikey grinned and watched as his brother deactivated the alarm on Noelle's phone. "Dude, you're as smart as the doctor who created Frankenstein. Total mad genius, yo!"

Donnie cleared his throat and handed the phone back to the blonde. "Actually, the doctor is Frankenstein, and his monster technically doesn't have a name other than the occasional reference of The Creature. It's a common misconception."

"Ohhhh." The younger turtle nodded as if he understood before he turned to Noelle. "So, are ready for training later? Time to kick major butt!"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" She glanced up at the kitchen clock and noticed it was already almost four. "Of course! Just let me grab my stuff real quick, okay?" When the brothers nodded she hurriedly ran upstairs to grab her training bag and change into her workout clothes. She pulled her hair up into a ponytail and slipped into her gym shoes before she paused and checked her phone. She tried not to allow herself to be disappointed over the absence of texts and voicemail from her father.

"He's just really busy," she whispered to herself, unaware of just how hard she was squeezing the device.

**[][][]**

Her bangs slicked back against her perspiring forehead as she attempted to grip her Jitte and dodge the end of his Bo Staff while aiming a kick at his midsection. The lanky turtle retaliated by doing a shoulder roll away and whacking the stick against the blonde's upper thigh. Noelle grabbed the end to alleviate the force, and slammed her own weapon against the side of Donnie's face.

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Mikey cheered as he observed his older brother leaping back and massaging his cheek. Raph grinned like a wolf watching their cub biting back for the first time while Leo attempted to hide a smirk. Master Splinter's eyes twinkled in pride at his student's progress.

"Well done, Noelle," Splinter complimented with a nod of his head. "Usually, I would lecture you upon hitting the head and facial area, but Donatello was past due anyways."

"Sensei!"

"Besides, I am proud of how you struck back. You should be too."

Noelle blushed at the praise, but felt guilty over causing her friend physical pain. When she walked towards the intelligent turtle he shook his head and smiled to show he was alright.

"Hey, that was a good blow! Just maybe aim for below my skull next time?"

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," she apologized. "I promise I won't do it again."

"Unless it is against your enemy. When you are fighting your true opponents, do whatever you can to bring them down so they do not have a chance to get back up and hurt you," Splinter added on. "Your lessons are dismissed for today. Well done."

Donnie and Noelle bowed towards each other and began heading back into the den. Mikey wasted no time in fist bumping the petite blonde while he grinned at her in admiration. "Dude, you kicked butt! That's awesome!"

Leo nodded in agreement. "You've come a long ways. We'll be getting your mother back in no time."

Noelle nervously clenched her weapon, hesitant to bring the subject up again. "Thank you, but do you know when we will find her?"

The chattering group turned silent as all eyes focused on the Leader. "Well, uh, we've gotta somehow put a tracking device on one of the Kraang so that it will hopefully lead us back to their headquarters. Both times before was in the TCRI building, but I'm assuming that isn't the case now. I haven't seen a new one being put up anywhere, but there are several tall buildings in New York that can serve as their base."

It didn't really help clear away the anxious feeling in her stomach, but Noelle supposed that the answer would have to do anyways. It wasn't easy continuing to come up with excuses to her grandma, aunt and uncle on why the police shouldn't be called. She wished she could just show her grandma the turtles so that she'd understand, but it wasn't an option. She had given her word to never reveal their home and existence. It was one thing to use their names, but it was another different matter entirely when an actual face was associated with the name, and she could only imagine how her family would react towards the kind mutant turtles.

"Hey, how about I walk you home tonight?"

She blinked to dismiss her thoughts and turned in surprise to see Raph actually talking to her. Mikey appeared just as puzzled as she did on why the hothead would willingly want to walk with her by himself. "Well, sure. Mikey, are you coming with us?"

"Actually, I need to talk to you in private. Mikey, do you mind staying home? I promise she'll get back safely."

Mikey was rather disappointed about not being able to spend extra time with her, but he trusted Raph and assumed that whatever his older brother was going to talk to her about would be okay. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll catch you two later." He gave Noelle a brief hug before he pulled back and took off towards his room, though he paused on the stairwell and watched them until they disappeared from his view.

He really didn't like somebody else walking her home.

**[][][]**

The atmosphere was rather awkward as the reptile and human teen strolled through the murky tunnels, leaving behind the bright lair and its occupants. What Raph had to discuss privately with Noelle was beyond her, but she felt nervous.

"Hey, so what do you think about my little brother?" the brawny turtle finally asked, his emerald eyes analyzing her face like he could if she was lying or not.

Noelle hadn't at all expected him to mention anything about her thoughts towards his youngest sibling. She couldn't help but wonder if she was being put through some sort of test, and if that was the case then why? "W-well, he's very nice. He always goes out of his way to make me smile and feel better, and I don't feel so afraid when he is nearby. " She made sure she was fully looking Raph in the face so he could see how genuine she was. "He's the first best friend I've ever had, and he's really precious to me. He has a good heart." She wanted to disappear as her cheeks grew heated and her red-masked ally studied her. The blonde wasn't that much of a talker to begin with, so to speak so openly about his brother made her flustered.

Raph hummed thoughtfully and turned away as he placed his hands behind his head. "Ya know, Mikey can be a bit obnoxious at times, but he's a good person. You and him, well, you guys look good together. You make him happy, so you have my respect."

Her skin felt like it was on fire. "O-oh, w-well we're not in a relationship or anything but we are really close." She felt rather flattered that her and Mikey seemed to fit together nicely, even if it was being perceived in a different way. "We're uh, we're like Donnie and April."

The terrapin snorted. "Seriously, don't say that. I don't even know what's going on with them half the time. It's honestly nauseating how Donnie acts around her. Anyways, I didn't mean to imply that I thought you two were dating, and I've gotta say that the idea of Mikey in a relationship is a really bizarre one, but whatever happens you have my approval." He playfully nudged her in the shoulder and smirked. "I'm glad we found you, but you've gotta put up with feeling like part of our family now."

Noelle smiled cheerfully at the compliment, feeling a sort of bliss blossoming inside her. "Thanks Raph. You all mean a lot to me." And it was true. The turtles, Splinter, April and Casey had become the friends and family she'd wanted for a long time. To know that they fully accepted her meant the world to her.

**[][][]**

By the time she exited the shower it was going on eight-thirty at night. Noelle hummed as she blow-dryed her hair, refusing to feel sad even though she still hadn't heard anything from her father. She wondered why he even had a house if he wasn't home most of the time. It wasn't like she lived with him, so there wasn't really a need to have so much space. Of course, Noelle didn't mind the fact that she had her own room and a staircase to the roof, only that it was odd how one person who was barely at his home enough to sleep in his own bed felt the need for such a large building. He probably would've been better off in a studio of some sort.

She set up her easel, put her earphones in, and began spiraling red near the the upper right corner of her blank canvas. Noelle felt light-hearted and content, so she decided to be silly and let her brush go wild. She felt like all her enthusiastic energy spread through her body and out of her paintbrush to display her feelings on the board. Her jade irises glittered in delight, unaware of the pair of eyes watching her from her bedroom window.

"That's her," Razhar snarled out, his eyes narrowed threateningly at the oblivious blonde. "She looks like some boring human girl not even worth our time."

"I agree, but Master Shredder wants her eliminated, so let's hurry up and get this done and over with." Fish Face and Razhar exchanged smug looks and climbed down the brick wall until they were peering through the shadows of the dark kitchen. Razhar used the razor-sharp tips of his claws to break through the glass, scattering pointed shards along the tiled floor. Fish Face cruelly grinned while he poured gasoline into the room.

"Light it up," Razhar growled with excited eyes. He watched his partner light a match before tossing it into the room and backing away. The cabinets immediately burst into flames as the heat spread across the flooring and proceeded towards the edge of the room, where a broken smoke detector hovered over from its forgotten place on the ceiling.

**[The Avengers-A Little Help]**

Noelle continued her painting with a gentle smile, admiring how the colors blended in together so nicely. She dipped the bristles into yellow and was about to smear them on the canvas when she paused to sniff the air. Something smelled like it was burning, but she didn't remember cooking anything earlier. The blonde lowered her brush and paint palette so she could remove her ear buds. Her heart was caught in an icy grip as she heeded the sounded of crackling flames.

"What in the world..." her low voice trailed off as she reached towards her door handle and twisted it open. Her mouth dropped open when she took in the sight of fire licking the bottom of her staircase. She could feel her heart rapidly pounding in her chest with every quivering breath she took, her legs frozen to the floor. Tears filled her eyes, provoking her to run down the hallway until she reached the window where the stairs were, only to discover in a horrified state of dread that the steps had been completely popped off. The railing was bent and pulled away, leaving her confined inside the house.

She forced herself to move towards her room and grab her T-Phone. Following Donnie's instructions, Noelle tapped the game icon four times with trembling fingers, pressed the T, and silently prayed to herself that the brothers would arrive soon. The device dropped from her hands while screamed in fright as something crashed below her. Without thinking she grabbed the painting she'd made with Mikey and hurried out of her room.

Noelle coughed as the staircase became concealed in thickening smoke. Fighting back stinging tears, she began her descent down the steps, only to cry out at the wooden steps cracked and fell away, dropping her below and onto her back with a painful thump.

**[][][]**

"Donnie! What's going on?" Leo called out as he burst into the lab, followed closely behind by Raph. Donnie had already equipped himself with everything he needed, his phone heavily vibrating in his belt while the police lights flared brightly. The two brothers looked at the screens, dismayed by what they were seeing. The house was completely falling apart, and Noelle was trapped inside of it. Both of them had gripped their violently shaking phones, fully disbelieving how the shy girl was already in life-threatening peril.

"Why?"

The three turtles turned towards the doorway, where Mikey was standing with widened eyes as he took in the terrifying sights displayed across the monitors. He clenched both his teeth and fists and turned on his heel.

"We need to go now!" he yelled out over his shoulder as he sprinted out of the lair. The brothers hurried right after him as two of the monitors darkened.

**[][][]**

Crawling out of the crashed debris, Noelle remained close to the ground to take in as much clean air as she could. Tears poured down her face while her body shook in a coughing fit as toxic smoke infiltrated her scorched lungs. She glanced around the room to try and find her and Mikey's picture, but was saddened when she couldn't find it. It meant so much to her, but her life was more important.

Noelle took a deep breath of the ground air before she forced herself onto her feet and tried to navigate through the room in an attempt to find an exit of some sort. As the temperature and fire increased, her hope began to lessen. She screamed and cried, willing somebody to come and find her. A miracle would be needed for anybody to reach her.

The ceiling began to crumble from the heightening blaze. Noelle cried out and jumped back, only to trip backwards over a beam that had fallen from above. She landed on her side, her head hitting the floor and producing a ringing sound in her ears. Her body felt heavy, and consciousness was slipping away with the lack of oxygen.

"I'm sorry dad," she managed to utter out of her dry throat before she began fading away. He'd be so disappointed.

Just when things were turning grim, a part of the front wall was split apart to make way for four figures. Mikey felt sick when he saw Noelle lying motionless on the floor. "Over here!" he cried out as he ran to her and turned her over. Her lids lifted halfway up to see who had moved her, a small smile on her lips as she mouthed his name once and slipped into unconsciousness.

"I've got you Noelle! I'm here" he assured her as he gathered her up in his arms. When his brothers circled around him Donnie threw down a vanishing bomb, teleporting the group away from the doomed building.

Behind the couch, two sets of painted hand prints melted away.

**[][][]**

The turtles and Noelle reappeared on a nearby rooftop that faced the burning house. Donnie covered Noelle's mouth with a gas mask and began checking her over for any signs of serious injuries. From what he could see she was covered in cuts and bruises, but there weren't any traces of blood, although she did have a few burn marks around her forearms. Her head rested on Mikey's lap, his worried eyes not once trailing away from her limp form.

"Leo," Raph stated in a quiet voice as he took in the burning building. A crowd had already gathered nearby to see what was happening while police officers attempted to keep the curious onlookers at bay. The fire truck and ambulance arrived with blaring sirens, the firefighters and medics wasting no time in connecting the hose to a nearby hydrant and spraying the flames.

"They should've been here five minutes ago," Raph grumbled out, absolutely infuriated on how one of their own had been personally attacked, especially one who couldn't fight as well as the others.

It was almost miraculous that the alarm had been created that day, otherwise it might have been too late. All Mikey could do was keep her close and make sure he did anything that Donnie asked of him. "Please, please tell me she is going to be okay."

Donnie noticed the fear in his little brother's eyes and wished he could just make everything right again. Nobody deserved to be put through so much. Noelle was just learning how to be happy and open up to others, but he feared she was going to sink into a darker place. He knew Mikey cared deeply for her, and could only imagine how he himself would feel if April had fallen to any harm.

"She should be able to move once she gets enough in her head and lungs," the genius declared. When he saw his little brother protectively holding her head, his expression softened. "Mikey, can you carry her back?"

Mikey nodded and carefully lifted Noelle up without knocking the mask off her face. Leo placed a comforting hand on his shoulder while Raph glared in hatred at the burning building behind them. Donnie threw down another egg, and they disappeared without a trace.

**[+]**

"Where is she?" April exclaimed with panic as she finally arrived at the lair. Her blue irises widened when they landed on her soot-is covered friend lying motionlessly on the couch, prompting the red head to run over and kneel in front of the girl who was just now starting to come to. "What happened?"

"A fire," Donnie exclaimed while he removed the mask from the blonde's face. "She's lucky we got there in time. She must've lost her phone somewhere because it wasn't around for me to shut the alarm off. I just used my phone to disarm the signal."

Raph slammed a fist into the abused dummy, his eyes lit with rage. "Who seriously does that?! I bet his stupid lackeys worked together with the Kraang or something. I just don't get why."

Leo leaned against the edge of the couch and watched Mikey use a washcloth on Noelle's soiled face. He couldn't help recalling the meeting he had with Karai about the possibility of using their friend as bait. He had been so against it, but she'd clearly voiced that she would do whatever it took to get the Kraang's attention. A part of him knew that she hadn't been responsible for all this chaos, but he was angry that right after she'd visited Noelle's home this fire had somehow been made. It made him sick to his stomach that she might somehow had something to do with it.

Noelle blinked and coughed as fresh air infiltrated her dry throat. Her eyes stung from the smoke but at least she could see the people around her. When she felt the damp cloth on her face and noticed a familiar face tenderly staring down at her, her drowsiness began to dissipate. "Mikey?"

"I'm here," the freckled ninja assured her before he handed the washcloth over to Donnie. Everybody gathered around the couch and watched as he placed a hand on her back to help her sit up. "Take your time." He supported her as she moved into a sitting position before he moved his hands away and watched her with tender eyes. "Are you alright?"

Noelle managed to nod before she coughed once again.

Splinter appeared out of the kitchen with a cup of water and handed it to her, making sure she had a steady grip before she gratefully began to drink. "Not too fast, my child. You have been through so much. You are safe now."

Nobody spoke until she finished swallowing the liquid and handed the cup back to her adopted father. "Thank you. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," April assured her, her hands slipping into the pair of dirtied ones. "Let me help you clean up, okay? Are you too sore to move?"

Noelle attempted to move her limbs, wincing at the aching muscles and spotted bruises, but she felt like she could at least walk. With a deep breath she stood up and walked forward to prove she wasn't terribly hurt. "N-no, I'm fine. I n-need my clothes. I don't have any."

"I brought some over for you," the red head gently offered. "Come on, I'll help you out." She held out a hand and the blonde took it. As the girls headed towards the bathroom April nodded at the boys over her shoulder to show she had it under control, and then they vanished around the corner.

Once Donnie was certain the humans were out of ear shot he sighed and turned to face his brothers. "I'm worried about Noelle. She must be traumatized."

"She'll be fine," Raph declared in a bitter tone. "Karai, on the other hand, is going to wish she had never met me."

"You don't know it was her," Leo stated with arms crossed. "You don't have proof."

"Oh, okay, so it's just merely coincidence that Noelle's home goes up in flames after Karai pops in for a visit?"

"Raph, Leo's right. You don't have proof. We don't know what happened."

"Oh, I know what happened alright. She wanted to capture our attention and was willing to sacrifice our friend in order to get it. Maybe she just wanted Leo to look at her."

"Your mouth is going to get you in trouble."

"Look at you sticking up for your girl. How cute," Raph spat out. "Hope you enjoy having Shredder as your father-in-law."

"Technically, he'd be more like our uncle since he and Sensei grew up together."

"Donnie, I'm not in the mood for your stupid facts. So help me I'm going to march over to that dumb building and-"

"What? You won't do a thing because you'll get beaten."

"So what? At least I'm fighting back!"

"Raph..."

"**Shutup**!"

Silence infiltrated the room as Mikey faced his brothers with clenched fists and watering eyes. Leo stepped forward with an arm outstretched, only to drop it as the usually cheerfully brother glared at him.

"Who cares about Karai right now?!"

Raph scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Listen, you just need to calm down-"

"No I will not calm down!" Mikey snapped back, leaving the other reptiles in a stunned silence. "Noelle is the only person in this world who never made me feel like an idiot! All you guys do is treat me like a joke, but she told me I have a beautiful mind! Me! She has never made fun of me or called me names. She even drank hot cocoa and looked at the stars with me. Have any of you ever made me hot cocoa? I don't think so! I'm just a burden to you all, but she loves to spend time with me! She doesn't make feel like a freak the way you guys do."

Donnie drew in a sharp breath. "Mikey-"

"Don't Mikey me! My best friend almost died in a fire tonight, and you guys only seem to care if Karai is guilty or not. That's sick." The lime-green turtle bit his lower trembling lit before stomped away from the group and up to his room, slamming the door behind him.

Splinter tapped his staff onto the floor to catch his stunned sons' attention. "Michelangelo is right You are too busy bickering amongst yourselves instead of focusing on helping your friend. There will be time tomorrow to figure out who did this, but for now think about what your brother has told you. Perhaps you should be more considerate of his feelings in the future.

Donnie, Raph and Leo bowed their heads and trudged up the stairs into their rooms in disbelieving silence. Mikey had never snapped like that before, and to know they had been responsible for it brought about a nauseous feeling of regret and guilt.

**[][][]**

"Are you feeling a little better?" April kindly asked as she considerately scrubbed the last remaining bit of soot off Noelle's bare dripping back. The blonde had remained silent the entire time, her jade eyes blank and lacking movement while she stood with a towel wrapped around her soaked form.

"I think so. Thank you."

"You don't need to lie to me, you know. It's okay to feel sad." April circled around her friend until they were eye-to-eye. "It's okay now. We're all here for you." She tucked a loose strand behind the blonde's ear and attempted to smile reassuringly. "You know, I bet Mikey would love to see you. He'll make you feel better."

Noelle had considered that during her shower while she washed away all the grime she could reach. She had thought about how being around him would probably cheer her up, but the mere thought made her want to hide away in a corner somewhere. She was tired, cold and shivering in just a towel while the firemen took care of the piles of ash her dad's house had been reduced to. It was just too much, and to push that on somebody else, especially Mikey, just didn't seem right.

"I don't want to do that to him though. I don't want to be a burden," she shakily breathed out. "That's not fair."

The red head retrieved some clothes from the counter and handed them over to the morose girl while shaking her head. "No, it isn't fair for us to have to watch you be sad and not be given the chance to help you. Mikey thinks the world of you, so I know he would much rather do what he could for you out right now than know he'd been unable to help you at all. I know this is hard for you, but believe me when I say you aren't a burden. We all love you and will do whatever it takes to help. We support each other, so please go see him okay? Promise me?"

Noelle was so exhausted that she didn't have it in her to fight, not to mention that April's pleading eyes left no room for argument. She remembered how Mikey had assured her on the roof that she wasn't alone and could talk to him about anything. The mere thought of revealing her emotions to somebody when people in the past hadn't cared really freaked her out, but Mikey and April were different.

**[][][]**

**[Big Hero 6-Family Reunion]**

Her legs felt like lead as she forced herself to move up the stairs, grateful that nobody had stopped her along the way. After she'd gotten dressed, April had helped dry her hair and pull it into a ponytail before urging the blonde to go see Mikey. Noelle felt like she was losing air with each step she took, making her insides feel like they were shaking and coated by an unpleasant cold sweat.

When she reached the top she paced back and forth in front of the freckled turtle's door, still unsure on how to even ask him for help. Nobody wanted to deal with a crying girl; her parents certainly hadn't. Then again, Mikey wasn't at all like her parents. He liked spending time with her, and he made her feel special. She had nothing to be afraid of. She could do this.

She took a deep breath and rapped her knuckles against the door, already cringing over her decision. The door was flung back by , revealing a worried looking Michelangelo. "I'm so glad you're able to move around. I was worried! Are you alright?" He observed her hesitant movements with anxious eyes as she entered his room, closing the door softly behind her and enshrouding the area in a dim light provided by a meager lamp.

Noelle swallowed in an attempt to moisten her dry throat and properly answer. "I-I'm fine. I'm okay. I just hope...dad will be so angry. I-I don't know...I'm just..." she took a deep breath and willed her pounding heart to slow down. "He'll be even more disappointed in me. I'm-I'm just so sorry."

Mikey slowly walked towards the front of her as he heard the tremble in her soft voice, his eyes softening into a gentle and compassionate gaze when he looked at her face and saw tears sliding down her cheeks, her lids lowered as she attempted to focus on the ground. She let out a little sob as another tear rolled out, tugging at his heart. He raised a hand up and tenderly wiped the fresh tear away, prompting her to look up at him with pleading eyes.

"Mikey...I'm so scared," she whimpered. He encircled his arms around her and pulled her against him with one hand cradling the back of her head gently. "Our p-painting is-it's gone. I tri-tried to save it but it fell."

"We can make another one. You're more important." He firmly held her as she sagged against him and broke down into heavy sobs. His eyes also watered as he listened to the heartbreaking sound of her crying, but he remained silent since she was in far worse pain than he was. He needed to be her strength right now. He carefully picked her up bridal style and lowered them both to the ground until they were sitting against the side of his bed. He rubbed her back soothingly as she buried her face into his neck and let out all the anxiety and heartbreak that had built up inside of her for so long.

"I'm here, I'm here," he reassured her, and pressed his cheek against the top of her head, not even minding the wet droplets falls onto his verdant skin. He promised himself that he'd do whatever it took to make sure something like this didn't happen again.

**[+]**


	18. Courage

_**Thank you all for the reviews! This story has really grown and I'm just really happy to know so many supportive people out there. Thank you all so much. **_

**Chapter 18: Courage**

Noelle woke up the next morning with an aching head and swollen sore eyes that made her want to remain beneath the covers all day. She felt nauseous with uneasiness because she knew she'd end up having to talk to her dad about what happened, along with being obliged to go to the police station to inform them that she was safe while somehow telling a believable story. She could easily imagine an entire landscape and paint it, but making up some credible lie was a little more challenging. Her stomach growled in protest though, so she had no choice but to get up and search for some breakfast.

The bed shifted as April sluggishly rolled over from her side and onto her stomach. The red head had stayed the night to make sure Noelle wasn't deserted with her troubling thoughts after such a stressful evening, although the blonde could barely even recall the conversation. She'd basically passed out in Mikey's arms after he'd consoled and held her for what had to be at least a half hour, his voice soothing while he'd continually reassured her that she wasn't alone. Eventually the tears had dried up and her head grew heavy as she'd leaned against him for support, his gentle rocking lulling her into a deep sleep that resulted in him having to carry her back to the guest room. She vaguely remembered hearing words exchanged between her two friends before she was tucked into the sheets, something that pertained to April keeping a watch over her.

Noelle quietly dressed herself without disturbing her slumbering friend, guilt-ridden over all the trouble that had happened around her. She could only speculate how worried her grandma was, and she was certain her dad had been informed of the issue already unless he'd simply missed the presumed phone calls. Her phone had been destroyed in the fire, along with the painting her and Mikey had created together. For some reason, the thought of their picture burning upset her much more than losing her phone, clothing, and even art supplies, though imagining all her her pencils and paints being reduced to ash made it feel like a knife was being twisted in her heart. Her and Mikey's picture was the first time she'd ever felt true happiness, and now it was gone.

_"He said we'd make another one. Your life is more important," _she admonished herself with a shake of her head. Noelle made her way through the dim room before reaching the door handle and twisting it open. It was only about eight thirty in the morning so she was certain that only Master Splinter and maybe Leo were awake, either drinking tea or meditating together as they did on a daily basis. She was surprised to see that all four brothers were actually awake.

Mikey's face broke into a grin when he saw her up and doing okay. He eagerly waved her over so she could sit next to him while everybody else politely greeted her. She'd only just seated herself when Donnie placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of her, made just the way she liked it.

"Figured you could use some," the intelligent reptile stated with a tired smile as he sat back down and took a sip of his own caffeinated beverage, rings evident beneath his auburn eyes from staying up all night. He suddenly pulled out a T-Phone and handed it to her. "Here you go. Since your other one was destroyed I just made you a new one, and this one has the alarm features too."

She nodded slowly with red cheeks, overcome with gratitude towards his kindness. "Thank you so much Donnie, and I'm really sorry. Hopefully you won't need to make me another one."

"Pfft, D makes them, like, all the time for us," Mikey gleefully chirped in. "You have any idea how many times Raph and Casey have broken their phones?"

"Only because Casey is an idiot," the red-banded brother scoffed. "Can't keep that guy outta trouble."

"I'll second that," April sleepily added on with a yawn as she rubbed her eyes and dragged her feet into the kitchen. "Jones is the very definition of trouble." She sat down between Donnie and Leo and nodded at both of them. "Morning guys."

"Good morning April and Noelle." Splinter smiled politely at the two girls before he glanced at the quiet blonde. He'd been extremely worried about her and what she was going through for somebody at such a young age. He was only grateful that his sons had found her before it was too late. "Noelle, what are you planning to do today? Will you be contacting your father?"

She nodded, hiding her worried face behind her cup as she sipped the hot liquid. "I need to call dad and make sure he knows I'm okay, and I'll try to tell him and my grandma what happened without giving anything away." She sighed and set the mug back down gently. "I'm just worried about what they'll say. I don't know where dad and I are going to live now, so Uncle Nick might have to help me out."

Leo cleared his throat to draw everybody's attention. "You know, if Master Splinter is okay with it, then you could just live here. You probably shouldn't be staying by yourself up there after everything that's happened."

"I agree. You are much safer down here than on the surface right now. I will inform the school about your circumstances and see if they can send your homework over here with April, but only if you are comfortable in doing so."

Noelle considered her options carefully before she hesitantly nodded. She hated to once again have the Hamato clan care for her, but she didn't see what other choice she had. There was a high probability that if she stayed at her Uncle's house then whoever had attempted to kill her might go after the rest of her family as well. She was frustrated with constantly having people look out after her, not to mention that these Kraang creatures or Shredder seemed unwilling to give her a break.

Regardless of how much she enjoyed living with her underground family, it didn't change the fact that her dad was essentially homeless while she had a place to stay. "I don't mind, and I'm extremely grateful, but I'm really worried about my dad. Do you think he'll be alright?"

Mikey placed a hand on her shoulder and grinned. "Your dad is probably one tough dude, so I'm sure he'll totally be fine."

"And besides," Donnie contributed, "most adults in his age group and career choice should have some sort of backup account available with enough substantial funds to easily at least afford some apartment. He'll have adequate living quarters."

'Thank you Dr. Nerdstein," Raph grumbled with an eye roll.

As she studied the helpless expression on her friend's face, April was pulled back to the time she'd also been forced to temporarily give up her normal daily life in order to hide away in the sewers while her dad remained imprisoned and her life in jeopardy. That was obviously no longer the case anymore, as she'd become a much stronger fighter and Kirby had eventually been rescued. Even though he was once again missing, she still felt confident and safe enough to remain on the surface in her aunt's home. Noelle didn't really have that luxury at the moment, so April could understand quite well what it felt like to be trapped and deemed incapable of protecting herself from future attacks. She was on the guys' side this time, mainly due to the fact that the blonde girl had already been in a situation that could've cost her her life, but also because Noelle was still improving her skills. The brothers didn't view Noelle as helpless, but were clearly protective and didn't want her to feel like she was jeopardizing her family just by being around them. If there was ever a group of people that would fight hard to keep the person they loved safe, then there wasn't a better family than the Hamato Clan.

Noelle's phone suddenly went off, disturbing the momentary reticent atmosphere with a jolting ring. Eyebrows knit with confusion, she glanced at the caller ID and instantaneously felt goosebumps spread across her skin while her stomach twisted itself repeatedly in anxious knots. She timidly eyed her friends, ashamed at just how uneasy she would be to take the call by herself. "I-it's my dad."

"You may answer it in here if you feel more comfortable in doing so," Splinter kindly suggested. "We will be silent."

With a deep breath that still didn't seem to calm her racing heart, she shakily raised the phone to her ear and nervously swallowed. "Hi dad."

"Noelle! What the heck happened?! I've been trying to call you all night but your phone just went straight to voicemail. How did my house catch on fire?! Explain!"

She cringed at his emphatic yelling. It was rare he raised his voice to her, but this had to be the angriest she'd ever heard him. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Raph heatedly glaring at the boisterous tone. "Somebody set the house on fire while I was home, and I think it was the person who took mom away." She honestly didn't know if that was true or not, but it at least seemed believable. "My friends saved me so I'm staying with them right now. I'm so sorry that happened dad. I really am."

"Funny how all this stuff happened after you moved in. Thanks to whatever issues you and Savannah have, I've lost all my projects. I've been working on some of those for a few months, and now they're ruined because some idiots decided to go after you. I can't take this anymore. Just stay with your friends. You're their problem now."

The line clicked before it emitted a dial tone that was silenced by trembling fingers. Noelle began to breathe heavily as her heart pounded powerfully against her rib cage and tears filled her eyes. Everybody was staring at her with a stunned or angry expression on their face, and all of them were in absolute disbelief. Even Mikey looked livid over how Felix had just spoken so harshly towards his daughter, because for some reason her nearly dying in the fire just wasn't as important to him as all his stupid projects were. It was incomprehensible.

The distraught girl got to her feet on wobbly legs before she gradually walked out of the kitchen like she was trapped in some sort of trance. Mikey stood up to go after her, but April shook her head and held a hand out to stop him. "You did your part last night, so now it's my turn. I think I might be able to help her out a little more."

The youngest turtle realized that the redhead was right; if anybody in the room could relate to Noelle then it was definitely April. He nodded in appreciation and sat back down with a hopeful smile. "Just make sure she feels better, okay?"

"I promise," April reassured him, and then briskly left the room to search for her friend. Mikey's smile faded at the thought of Noelle once again crying and feeling alone.

Raph all but threw down his stool as he got to his feet and cracked his knuckles, his eyes glaring brightly with fury. "What a jerk! Who does that guy think he is?! I swear, if I see him I'm going to shove my foot right up his-"

"Raphael! Control your temper. Even though Noelle has been through a great deal, she is still much stronger than you think. All we can do is offer her our support when she needs it, otherwise she will never gain the strength to keep pushing forward. Although he may not act like it, this man is still the father of her, so he must not be harmed."

"We can't wait any longer," Leo stated with frustration. "We need to put an end to all this or things will just get worse. Let's head up to the surface and see if we can find any clues as to where the Kraang are hiding. Are you guys in?"

"Heck yes son!" Mikey exclaimed with a grin. "Let's go kick some Kraang boo-tay!"

Donnie headed towards his lab. "I just need to grab a few things."

Splinter was still uncomfortable with his students going up to the surface during the day, but Leo was right. Time was passing quickly and with little progress; it was time to move forward a few steps. "Be careful, my sons."

"Hai Sensei!"

**[][][]**

April gently knocked on the bedroom door before she pushed it open, her heart sinking when she saw Noelle laying on the bed with her right cheek pressed against the pillow and a blank stare in her eyes. Trails of hot tears slid down her reddened face as she lifted her head up. "April?"

The redhead sighed while she seated herself on the bed and pulled her friend into a hug. "Oh Noelle. I'm so sorry that happened. It wasn't right for him to talk to you like that."

Noelle bit her lower lip as her swollen eyes stung with fresh tears. "I feel pathetic. I don't like crying to much and being a baby."

"Don't. You're an amazing person."

"I just..."Noelle sat up and wiped her face to prevent herself from looking even more like a mess,"...I feel like there's a reason why my parents don't like me, and I'm scared that I'll never get mom back and that dad wouldn't have cared if I'd died as long as his proj-"

"Stop." April squeezed the blonde's hands as she spoke firmly. "We were all worried about you, even Raph. Mikey made me promise to take care of you because of how upset he was that this happened. It was terrifying for all of us to think that we'd lost you, so don't you dare think that nobody would care."

Noelle didn't like the idea that they'd been troubled, especially Mikey. He was such a cheerful person that the idea of him being frightened caused her heart to sink. "I'm really sorry that you all went through that."

"But it's not your fault. None of this is, and that's why it's so awful." April softened her voice. "When the guys accidentally turned my dad into a giant bat creature, I was wrongfully angry at them. I gave them the cold shoulder and refused to talk to them, which I know really hurt Donnie. We made up, obviously, but to this day I still feel terrible about how harsh I was towards them. It was just an accident, and I think that maybe your dad is reacting similarly because he's just overwhelmed that he lost what he's worked so hard for. I'm not saying it's right that he talked to you like that, but it might soften the blow a little. All we can do is hope that he'll come around, but even if he doesn't you still have a family here."

A smile gradually crept onto Noelle's face as she realized that her friend was right. The turtles and Splinter had proven to be more of a family to her than her actual family. Sure, she had her grandma, aunt, uncle and cousin, but when it came to her parents, they just weren't in the picture. She didn't have the same happiness and energy around them like she did with the Hamato clan. Instead of pitying herself, she would count her blessings.

**[][][]**

Two long hours had passed by, and there still wasn't any sign or indication that the Kraang had been hanging around a certain part of town. Donnie had sent out one of his camera-carrying cockroaches, much to Raph's horror, down to random abandoned buildings to sneak beneath shut doors and show whether there was any sort of activity taking place. Unfortunately, the operation hadn't been successful successful so far.

"What are we going to do about Noelle?" Donnie asked as he set his small pet towards a desolate old car garage. "She lost everything, so she'll need clothes and other basic necessities in order to live with us."

Raph hopped back from the crawling bug with a grossed-out expression on his face. He only let out his breath when the disgusting creature was off the roof and out of sight. "Doesn't April's aunt make clothes or something? Maybe she can help."

"That's a lot of clothing to make, and we can't just expect her to do it for free. The only other thing I can think of is maybe Noelle has some spare clothes at her mom's place." Leo frowned at the problem, his eyes briefly glancing towards the monitor on Donnie's wrist to make sure nothing had been spotted before he turned to face Mikey, who was laying on the ground with his feet spread out. "Mikey, do you remember if she left any clothes at her apartment?"

"Uh, I think so," he responded without tearing his gaze away from the game he was playing on his phone. "Probably. I mean, we can just go later, right?"

"Then you better mean _later_ and not when you feel like it. I can go with you while April and Casey go out and buy her whatever she needs."

Donnie frowned when his minuscule spy returned to his palm without any helpful information. "Well, guess this is another dud. Might as well call it a day and head back. I'll research some possible hiding spots and add them to my notes for when we do this again."

"About time," Raph grumbled, anxious to get away from the vile cockroach. Just as he was about to hurry off he noticed his little brother nonchalantly getting to his feet with a frown on his face. "Something up Mikey?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking that Noelle doesn't have the wooden thing she uses to paint on anymore. She's probably sad without it."

"Oh, you mean an easel," Donnie clarified.

"Yeah, that thing."

"Well..."Leo folded his arms over his chest and tapped a foot as he thought about a solution. "...I suppose we could always just make her another one. It shouldn't be too difficult. We'll figure it out when we get back." He turned to leave while the others followed, but Mikey couldn't help frowning over the fact that Noelle had lost all her art supplies. That would be like him not being able to eat pizza!

The mere thought of such a catastrophe made his eye involuntarily twitch.

**[][][]**

Things had gone about just as smoothly with the police as Noelle predicted. The cops had automatically assumed that she somehow had been the cause of the fire and were very skeptical of her story. The only thing that saved her from panicking was April stating that they had been hanging out at her aunt's house. She'd stared the officers right in eye while using her stubborn voice to prove she wasn't messing around. Eventually Noelle was able to go, but she felt the officers glaring daggers at her back as she walked out.

"The police were like that to me too when dad when I went to them after dad was kidnapped, but that was mostly because I stupidly told them aliens had played a role. I mean, I would've looked at me like I was an idiot too," April explained with her hands shoved deeply into her coat pockets. The temperature had decreased rapidly within the past 48 hours, bringing about clouds that promised future snow flurries and freezing nights. Nearby cars honked impatiently.

"I'm sorry. I guess it's just hard for them to believe something so abnormal could happen."

"Probably hard to explain without some sort of proof," April agreed.

The girls walked only a little more, eventually turning down a side street that led them to the front of Nick's house. Noelle took a deep breath before she went up the stairs and knocked on the door, uncertain of what to expect from her family. She clenched and unclenched her fingers while her heart sped up with anticipation and she bit her lower lip, turning her head only briefly to see her friend confidently smiling. She returned her attention to the door when she heard the click of a lock.

The door was swung open by a young girl with brown hair that had been styled into a bobcut with bangs. Her hazel eyes widened when she saw Noelle standing in the doorway, and immediately ran to give her older cousin a hug. "Noelle! You're okay!"

"Hi Ella. I'm so sorry," Noelle apologized as she returned the embrace, the stinging feeling of guilt cutting through her like a fresh wound. She patted the twelve year-old's head affectionately before she pulled away and gestured to April over her shoulder. "April, this is my cousin Ella. Ella, this is my friend April."

The red head grinned and walked forward to hold out her hand. "Hey! Nice to meet ya!"

Ella was a friendly girl, so she shook the offered hand and smiled shyly. "Nice to meet you too." She grabbed her cousin's wrist and pulled her into the house while April followed close behind. "Grandma and mom are in the kitchen. They're both really worried about you."

All three girls walked past the living room and into the dining room. It was a lot more spacious than Felix's had been, complete with a wider table and multiple counters that had been wiped clean. Sandra sat adjacently to Melanie, who had hair that was a darker shade than Ella's, but the hazel eyes were identical. Both ladies glanced up in shock when Noelle entered, her wrist still clasped affectionately by Ella.

"Oh thank God!" Melanie hurriedly set her cup of coffee down to stand up and hug her niece. "Where have you been? We've been sick with worry!"

Noelle felt her throat tighten up over how terrified her family was for her safety. "I'm so sorry. I-"

"Now, now, sit," Sandra gently urged from her seat, her hands shaking as she patted the open chair beside her. "You seem to have much to say."

"And who is this?" Melanie asked when she finally noticed April standing behind her niece.

"Oh, aunt Melanie, this is my good friend April. She's been very supportive to me since everything happened."

"How nice," Melanie responded with a warm smile. "You girls go ahead and sit down. Is there anything I can get you both to drink?"

April shook her head as she shrugged off her coat. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Can I join you guys?" Ella innocently smiled up at her mother. "I'll be quiet."

Sandra nodded her head even though her daughter-in-law seemed hesitant. "You're quite alright. Go ahead and stay." With a gleeful grin the young girl plopped down at the end of the table and eagerly waited for the conversation to start, happy to be included among the "adults".

Sensing that everybody was waiting for her to speak, Noelle deeply exhaled before her eyes fell to the table to avoid the inevitable disturbed expressions. "I'm, uh, well, going t-to tell you something different than what I told the police." Melanie sharply inhaled in alarm but remained silent. "I was painting in my room at dad's house when I smelled smoke. I looked downstairs and saw fire, so I called my friends for help. They eventually came and rescued me but my phone was destroyed with the house so I didn't have a way to reach out to anybody."

Sandra reach out and placed a hand on her granddaughter's arm. "Oh hunny, were you hurt? Why didn't you call the fire department?"

Noelle nervously swallowed over how tricky things were about to become. "My friend Donnie had a gas mask with him so he was able to clear my lungs right away, but I do have some cuts and bruises. Nothing serious. I didn't call 911 because there was already an alarm system in my phone that would contact the brothers right away. They saved my life."

Melanie furrowed her brows together. "Who are these friends of yours, and what makes them more capable of rescuing you than the fire department?"

"Are these the same people who are helping you find your mother?" Sandra added on.

"Yes grandma They, um, well..." Noelle glanced at April for some sort of help. She hated to put the redhead on the spot like that, but she really didn't have a clue on what to say that wouldn't give away the turtles' identity.

Fortunately, the freckled girl was quick with catching on. "They're highly-skilled fighters who have been immensely supportive not only to Noelle, but me as well. They're an amazing group of guys who have helped a lot of people. They've basically made the both of us feel like part of the family."

"They sound super cool!" Ella chimed in with her elbows propped on the table. "Can we meet them?"

"That sounds like a good idea to me."

"Hunny, who are these people?"

Fear churned in Noelle's stomach as her and April exchanged apprehensive glances. How could they possibly explain to three normal humans that they were friends with mutant ninja turtles who lived in a sewer? It seemed like the girls had been backed into a corner without a way out, but the truth was out of the question, and half-lies could only do so much.

"I can ask them." That was the only thing Noelle could think to say. "They aren't very sociable people though."

Her aunt didn't seem convinced. "It won't kill them to come up and properly introduce themselves. We're all starting to get really scared with these incidents. Maybe you should call the police-"

"They won't believe her. My dad was taken too and the cops thought I was crazy. The same people who took my dad are the ones who kidnapped her mom and trust me when I say they aren't regular people." April stood up and slid her coat back on. "I apologize for interrupting you, and I know you all want answers, but something will happen soon to stop all this. Until then, please be patient because we're doing the best we can."

"And what does your father think about all this?" Sandra directed at Noelle with concerned eyes.

Sensing her dejected mood, the redhead placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder for support. "He-he told me that I wasn't his problem anymore." As Noelle repeated the harsh words thrown at her earlier, she realized that she wasn't just heartbroken over her dad's refusal to help her, but she was also a little angry. It was extremely rare for her to feel mad at anything, but she was just so tired of trying to get his love and approval only to get repeatedly tossed to the side like she didn't matter. Mikey had helped her see that she wasn't some terrible unwanted person who didn't deserve to be loved or have friends, and it wasn't right for her parents to treat her like she was. She swallowed away the knot that had climbed into her throat and stood up alongside April. "I'm going to live with my friends and work together to rescue mom. They make me really happy and have helped me better myself. I just need you all to believe in me, p-please."

Sandra observed just how far her granddaughter had come. She'd had her doubts about these strangers, but somehow she just knew she could trust them with Noelle. To see such determination on the teen's face brought about hope that she hadn't felt in a long time. "You have my support hunny. Shame on your daddy for not seeing what a wonderful daughter he has." She smiled as Noelle gave her a tight hug and whispered her thanks.

Ella grinned in admiration at her cousin before she turned her attention to her astonished mom. "Mom, I think she can bring Aunt Savannah home, so let's believe in her too, okay?"

Melanie sighed in defeat prior to peering seriously into April's eyes, where she strictly held her gaze. "I'm entrusting my niece to you. I won't call the cops right now, but if I even sense she's being mistreated or taken advantage of, I won't hesitate to do so and bring her here. So please, take good care of her. She's a good kid."

April nodded and smiled. "You have my word. We'll even keep you updated."

"Thank you." The brunette stood and reached out to pull Noelle into another embrace. "I love you. Be safe, please?"

The blonde nodded against her aunt's shoulder, experiencing more confidence than she'd ever felt before. She'd make things right again, and she wouldn't be alone.

**[][][]**

The girls arrived back at the lair in high spirits and with pizza boxes stacked on their hands. Casey had promised to show up later, and April once more had to call Irma and apologize for skipping out on eating at a gluten-free restaurant with her again. The bespectacled girl had talked the redhead into movie night on Tuesday, leaving April no choice but to say yes so she didn't feel like she was continually ditching her friend. Noelle was still indifferent about Irma, but a part of her hoped that she'd get to go to the movies or out to eat with them one day too.

The boys had only arrived back moments before, all gathered in Donnie's lab as he put thumbtacks into random spots on the giant map of New York he had taped to his wall. Three red tacks had already been pinned into the paper next to at least a hundred other tiny holes from earlier missions. The lanky turtle stuck his tongue out in concentration while he considered the next spot. Raph and Leo argued over possible hideaways to suggest, completely oblivious to Mikey standing around and playing games on his phone again. It was the usual commotion that made Noelle feel at home.

"Lunch time!" April announced as she tauntingly held the boxes out for the boys to smell. Their pupils dilated and drool began sliding down all their chins at the mention of their favorite dish.

"Sah-weet!" Mikey bolted right up to Noelle and snatched a slice out of the box. He stuffed the piece right into his mouth and began pulling the blonde by her shirt sleeve into the living room with his greasy hands. The teens had settled down on the floor while they contently ate their meal, their good moods only increasing when Casey walked in with 24 cans of various soda. Noelle happily basked in the pleasant atmosphere, only feeling her smile disappear when she ate her final slice of pizza. She had an idea, but the thought of doing it alone really made her nervous. She had the right to say something though, and she knew who she wanted at her side when it happened.

"Mikey?"

The energetic terrapin shoved in his fifth slice of the delicious food and gazed at the blonde while sauced stained his lips and chin, uncaring of the mess on his face."Yeah?"

She smiled and handed him a napkin. "There's something on your mouth."

"Is there?" He stuck his tongue out to lick what he could off the lower part of his mouth before he wiped the rest off and emitted a loud burp that set her in giggles while his brothers rolled their eyes. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome. I, well, I actually was hoping you could be there for me when I make a phone call later. I wanted to talk to my...to my dad."

His lips widened into a smile as he patted her shoulder and nodded. "You got it."

**[][][]**

They leaned against his bed in companionable silence, her fingers apprehensively tapping the blank phone screen as she suddenly felt nauseous with worry. "I don't know if I can do this."

"You can," Mikey encouraged while he tucked his legs into each other. "I know it's scary and stuff, but I'm here with ya. Girl, you've got this." He gave her a wide grin and she felt some of fear ease away. She nodded, brought the contact screen up, and tapped her father's name.

She waited with bated breath as the phone rang four times before going to voice mail, leaving her rather relieved about not having to speak to him so soon after earlier discussion. She decided to just leave the message, hoping that he would listen to it over and over again and take what she had to say seriously.

"Hi dad, it's me. I thought about what you said to me earlier, about me not being your problem anymore, and I...I just wanted to say that it was very hurtful." Angry tears filled her eyes, and this time she allowed them to fall. "I don't know why you think I'm such a burden or hate me so much, but I think it's awful that you treat me like I'm a nuisance instead of your daughter. I miss mom and you don't even care if I'm around or not. I've always been alone and sad but nobody noticed or cared, so I'm going to make your wish come true and stay away from you for as long as you want. I love you." She clicked the end button and nearly dropped the phone on the floor as her arms shook.

"Hey, it's okay," Mikey whispered as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. He could feel her heart racing as she anxiously sucked in air and whimpered against his plastron. "I am so, so proud of you."

"I-I'm being pathetic again," Noelle managed to say between heavy sobs. She covered her face, ashamed that she had already cried twice that day after already bawling the night before. No matter what April said, the idea of continually going to somebody for support made her feel like a useless burden. She hoped that maybe if she cried enough now, then perhaps she wouldn't so much during the following days. Her shaking began to calm down as he rubbed her upper back and pulled her in closer, making her feel safe and protected.

"You know what I think?" Mikey gently tilted Noelle's head up so she was looking him right in the eyes. "I think that one day you're going to have your moment and prove to the world that you've come a long way. I'll smile and be super proud because you're that awesome, and then I'll laugh at everybody who didn't treat you like the great person you are." He wiped a tear off her face and playfully bonked his forehead against hers with a grin.

"Do you really think that will happen?" she asked with a shy smile on her face. "If so, then I can't wait to make you proud."

His heart skipped a beat and he blushed. Somehow, he didn't think_ puberty_ was the right word for what he was going through.


	19. Snow

_**Thank you all so much for helping this story reach 100 reviews! That's awesome! **_

**Chapter 19: Snow**

True to his word, Mikey, Leo and Noelle returned to her old uninhibited apartment later that evening. The atmosphere was morose, to say the least, as the blonde was filled with an unfathomable sadness that made the situation even more absolute. She stood in the kitchen for a while, police tape joined together across door frames and shattered windows; glass shards still scattered across the floor that crunched beneath each step she took. The dining table she'd sat at by herself for so long remained sideways near the toppled chairs, the ligenous legs cracked with jagged edges of wood.

"You okay?" Mikey asked as he softly squeezed his best friend's shoulder. He understood that returning back to the place where Noelle's life had turned upside down probably wasn't pleasant. He himself felt a little uncomfortable upon seeing the remnants of a struggle since he could only imagine just how terrified Savannah had been at the time of the attack. He just wanted the whole fight to be over so that maybe Noelle would be happier and more at ease. She could really use a parent right now, and Master Splinter wouldn't be able to fully fill that role no matter how much comfort and support he provided.

Noelle nonchalantly nodded and moved forward towards her previous room, stopping only at the entrance to her mom's office to peek into the disheveled space. "Just seeing all this again makes everything so surreal. I still can't believe she's gone," she quietly replied before swallowing the knot in her throat. It tore her up to see the piles of books discarded and flung all over the ground like they weren't important, and Savannah's ceramic coffee cup was still cracked with dried-up coffee staining the rim. "It probably isn't good to dwell on what already happened though."

"No, but it is a way to remind us of why we're fighting in the first place," Leo stated with a compassionate smile. "It'll be alright. Let's just grab your things and we can leave this behind until we find your mom again, okay?"

And so they did. Noelle came across some clothes she'd left behind, though there wasn't very much, but she was satisfied with what she did find to hold her off for a while. She didn't need a lot to make her happy, nor was she going to be able to go to school so it didn't matter if she was judged for wearing the same outfit twice in a week.

"Yeah, those Kraang won't even know what hit them by the time you're done. Kapow!" Mikey threw a fist forward and went about forming various poses, most of which consisted of him wiggling his entire body around like his was an octopus. "You'll go all booyakasha on them! Yeah boyyy!"

Noelle giggled, grateful that he and Leo had come along with her to help out. She enjoyed their company a lot, and she realized that they were right. Seeing how messed up the place was again really gave her a kick to fight and train harder. She didn't have to enjoy it, but if it meant bringing her mom home then she'd do anything to get her back.

**[][][]**

Noelle lay out on her bed with her legs crisscrossed in the air while she thoughtfully gnawed on the end of her pencil. An open math book that practically screamed 'headache' was enshrouded by scattered lined paper sprawled over with cluttered numbers and blotches of eraser marks. It was all gibberish to her, and if it wasn't for April sitting serenely on the bed beside her, she probably would have just let her face drop into the mattress in pure frustration.

"So all you do is multiply the three with the 'x' inside the parenthesis and add it to the value of 'y' in order to get the solution of 'z'," the redhead patiently explained while gesturing to each indicated part of the problem. She expertly entered the formula into her calculator, filling the air with little clicking sounds. "If done correctly, then you should get -12 as your answer."

Noelle analyzed the problem with her brows furrowed and eyes narrowed in focused concentration. She wasn't unintelligent by any means, but math was like a foreign language to her, not to mention that her being unable to go to school wasn't very helpful. Usually, seeing some sort of example for her to follow was enough to help her out a little, or at least point her in the right direction. Fortunately, April was a great tutor who managed to make all her explanations easy to comprehend, so it didn't take long for Noelle's face to light up when she realized just how to solve the seemingly difficult problem. Her pencil immediately went to work on multiplying the numbers and letters until she was left with the desired solution. Her eyes glowed with pride as she displayed her problem-solving skills to April like a child who had scribbled on a sheet with crayons. "Like this?"

"Yup, you got it! See, it's not too difficult. We can honestly call it quits today since this isn't due until next week." The redhead leaned back with her palms resting behind her skull as she relaxed against one of the pillows. "So, I was thinking that this year for Thanksgiving I might just bring the feast down here for all of us. From what I know, all the boys except for Donnie don't fully understand it, so they've never celebrated it before. That really sucks."

The blonde paused in the middle of slipping her work back into its proper folder and eyed her friend curiously. " I guess that does make some sense since they've only come up to the surface this year, right?" Her mouth suddenly gaped open as a dismal thought crossed her mind. "So, does that mean they haven't seen snow before?"

April shot right up from her resting position with mirrored disbelief on her face. " Oh my God, I think you're right! Well, we've definitely gotta change that."

Noelle shut her book as she considered an idea that had worked its way inside her head. She wondered what the turtles would think of the beautiful snowfall, but she most especially wanted to know how Mikey would feel. Her cheeks helplessly flushed as she pondered about how cheerful he might be, and resolved straight away that she absolutely needed to make it happen for him. From the way the sky had appeared two days ago she could only assume that snow would start its yearly descent at any moment, and she wanted him to see it. After all, she felt it was the least she could do after he and his family had saved her life, carried more of her clothes back from her mom's apartment, and taken her in without making her feel like she was a burden.

"So, what are you scheming?" the redhead teased with a smirk when she noticed how silent her friend had become. "Don't leave me in the dark."

Noelle nervously played with a thick strand of hair as her face grew even more red. "I was j-just thinking that I want to be there when Mikey sees snow for the first time. Is, uh, that strange at all?"

"Not at all!" April optimistically responded, eager to see just what sort of plan her friend had. "What are you thinking of doing?"

The blonde pulled her phone out of her pocket and accessed the internet to pull up what she had in mind while the redhead waited patiently. Once she found what she was looking for she held up the screen so April could get a better look. "I was wondering if perhaps you might want to go with me to get this? I feel like it would make things better."

April practically jumped off the bed to put on her shoes and jacket while donning a freckled dimpled grin. "Oh, you know I'm with you on this."

**[][][]**

Karai restlessly paced in her confined room, seething and enraged over what had transpired behind her back. Every item within reach had fallen victim to her sword except for her cot, all in a brief moment of uncontrolled rage. It was rare that she lost hold of her temper, but when she'd discovered that the Shredder had foolishly sent his idiotic henchmen to burn the girl alive, she'd been so livid that he had concealed her within the stone walls of her chambers.

"Stubborn," she spat out between clenched teeth,"absolutely stubborn."

The Shredder had no idea that he'd not only doomed himself and his daughter, but the rest of the planet as well. The Kraang didn't care about his petty revenge on Splinter and the turtles; they just wanted Noelle and her mom. It was almost laughable to even remotely conceive just how doomed they all were. Karai was trapped with bars on both her door and window, but she refused to allow herself to die without trying anything else.

She trudged over to her dented desk and roughly grabbed sheets of paper, tearing one of the material's corners in the process. With a grumble she reached for a pen and hastily sprawled across the parchment with determination twisted onto her lovely face. She refused to go down without a fight, and there was no way she would just allow herself to die as a helpless prisoner.

If there was one thing Karai wasn't, it was powerless.

**[][][]**

Mikey bounced up and down eagerly on his feet in the den as he anxiously waited for Noelle to return from her trip with April. They girls had left about an hour and a half ago and he and his brothers had a gift for Noelle that he couldn't wait for her to see. Donnie had been working on it secretly, but since April visited him constantly in the lab she knew about the surprise as well. Although he had been the one to put everything together, his brothers had brought him the needed materials and used April's access to the surface to bring back the desired supplies. Mikey was probably the one most ecstatic, but the others were also looking forward to seeing the look on their blonde friend's face when she returned.

"You're not going to make her get here faster by doing that," Raph grunted out as he swung another fist forward and collided his knuckles against the worn dummy. He took a deep breath and wiped the few sweat droplets off his forehead before cracking his fingers. "I get you're excited, but chill for a few bro."

"You can't tell me you're not at least a little bit eager," Leo challenged with a raise of his brow as he grinned. "We're all looking forward to surprising her."

"Here she comes!" the youngest turtle squeaked out in a jumpy manner.

Sure enough, Noelle and April were ambling through the turnstiles with plastic bags in their hands and engaged in a lively conversation that died down when they spotted the mischievous looking boys. The blonde tightened her grip on one of the bags protectively when she saw Mikey, but genuinely smiled when she saw him staring at her.

"Noelle, can you come help me with something?" Donnie's voice suddenly erupted from his lab, catching the silent girl off-guard. She couldn't imagine what use she would possibly be to him, but she'd provide assistance however she could.

"I'll take your stuff for you," April politely offered.

"Okay, thank you." Noelle handed her bags over to the redhead before proceeding over to the lab, wondering why the boys were following along behind her. Mikey was practically right next to her as he tried to keep his giggles silent. Raph poked his little brother in the face with a glare, warning him to be silent.

When they finally entered into the lab, she froze.

Donnie grinned from the front of his desk as he gestured proudly at a new easel compromised of melted metal, screws, and black plastic ledges. Beside it was a small table covered in art supplies. A hefty pack of pencils with varying hardness lay beside a package of kneaded erasers, colored pencils, paintbrushes, and basic paints. Leaning against the front of the table were two large canvasses and three sketchbooks.

Noelle felt like she couldn't breathe, but this time it was because she was so overwhelmed with joy and surprise. She felt her entire face go red as her hands covered her mouth and her eyes watered over the touching gifts that her friends had given to her. After her easel and art supplies were destroyed in the fire she'd felt like she lost a part of her soul. She'd relied on her art for so long that it felt like a part of her, so she'd felt a sense of heartache when they were lost to the cruel flames. Now that she had them back again, it was as if she was living again instead of being some sort of empty shell.

When she felt Mikey pull her into a hug, she titled her head so that her forehead was pressed against his upper plastron as she let out muffled sobs that had the group watching her with soft smiles. Even Raph walked over and patted her on the shoulder while April hugged her from the side and Mikey affectionately rubbed her head with a grin on his face.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Noelle whispered repeatedly when she finally lifted her head and stepped back, a wide smile on her wet face as she once again took in the sight of all her new art supplies.

"No problem, you deserve it," Leo responded, pleased with himself and his brothers. "It was actually Mikey's idea. He knew how much it meant to you."

The look Noelle gave Mikey made his heart feel like it was melting. Her eyes shimmered with affection and her smile was so tender and sweet that he swore he was about as red as Raph's mask. He swallowed to ease his dry throat before he shared another hug with her, basking in the pleasant aura radiating off of her.

Splinter regarded the touching scene from the lab's entrance, his heart light and yet hollow. The way his two students looked at each other greatly reminded him of how he and Tang Shen used to act when their feelings were developing, and he missed it everyday. He missed _her_ everyday. The memories were wonderful though, and it did make him content to see one of his sons going through the same thing, though he never would have guessed that Mikey would be the next one after Donnie to fall. He knew Leo cared about Karai in a similar manner, but their relationship was a bit different than simply liking each other. Still, he was rather glad for Mikey, and was pleased that he'd come to care for such a kind-hearted person who actually appreciated the way he was.

When Mikey caught his Sensei watching him, he beamed at the fatherly rodent, who returned the smile. When Noelle stepped back, the young terrapin playfully poked her arm and widely grinned. "Hey, so let's go make a new picture! We can totally do that now, right?"

It took Noelle a moment to realize what he was referring to before she eagerly nodded her head, her heart bounding with happiness.

**[][][]**

The easel was set up in the corner of her room with art supplies bundled up methodically around it. Splinter had suggested placing some towels underneath the easel just in case there was a mess, which usually ended up somehow happening whenever Mikey was involved. Noelle longingly opened an orange and dark blue paint bottle to prepare for the painting while the freckled turtle observed her in amusement, thrilled that the blonde had been able to find a part of herself again. He was glad that he'd suggested the idea to his brothers when he did, otherwise she would have just continued with her half genuine smiles while being dragged around the lair. Even Ice Cream Kitty had her limits when it came to entertaining.

"This is going to be way better than last time!" Mikey cheerfully stated, his hands already extended out just as she began pouring orange across his palms. He clapped them together, spraying her in the face with orange specks, causing her to flinch in surprise.

"You're too kind," Noelle giggled, not even bothering to wipe the sprinkled paint off her face. She coated her hands so heavily in blue that her finger tips were dripping with azure blobs. She turned towards the paint palette and expectantly waited for him to go first like he had last time. It was amazing how terrified she'd been the first time they'd done this, but she'd come so far that now hanging out with him had become extremely familiar to her. She was just so relaxed around him.

"Ooh, let's do both of our hands at the same time!" Mikey suggested. "It'll be like one of those cool moments that people look back and treasure, only to find out that they are the real treasure instead." He blinked innocently with a smile.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're referring to."

"In the latest issue I read of the Barbarian King, this dude and his best bro go treasure hunting together but end up figuring out in the end that their friendship is much cooler than gold, and then they have this epic bro hug and it's just awesome."

"I see. That makes sense I suppose." Noelle flushed when he stood behind her so that each arm was on either side of her shoulders, making this moment feel far more intimate than during the first painting. When she felt his heart rhythmically beating against her back, she squeezed her eyes shut until they both stepped forward and placed their palms against the smooth canvas. The heat in her face felt uncontrollable when they pulled their hands back, her eyes opening to see the paint from their hands intertwining against each other on the board. She gradually turned around until she was face to face with him, and then pushed her fingertip over his snout.

"I was first this time."

It took Mikey a moment to realized what had happened before he chortled loudly and they both began dousing each other's faces again in blue and orange. Little splatters of colored liquid flew onto hair and skin as they continued to flick their fingers around in an attempt to target to each other with the liquid. They finally ended up on the ground, curled in on their stomachs as laughter continued to emit from their shaking forms, unaware that everybody in the lair could hear them.

**[][][]**

Leo turned the TV down, paused the game and raised a brow as he looked towards the direction of Noelle's room and shared an amused look with April. "So, do I even want to know?"

"Probably not," the red head replied with a smile from the couch, her eyes not leaving her laptop. "I think they are just working on a new painting."

"So did anybody else ever think that out of all of us Mikey would be the one to spend the most time with a girl, cause I sure didn't." Raph stuffed a chip in his mouth from his spot beside Leo. April just continued to smirk while the brothers exchanged an eye twitch at the laughter and proceeded to play their game.

**[][][]**

When the giggles finally died down Noelle grabbed an old towel and began rubbing the paint off of her. "I think we made an even bigger mess this time."

"Dude, you're probably right." Mikey grinned, his cheeks nearly concealed in blue. "You're, like, totally orange now."

"And you're practically turqoise," the blonde retaliated with a smile. When she noticed his confused expression she cleared her throat. "Turqoise is a blend of green and blue. The color is actually really pretty."

"Why thank you!" The reptile pretended to bat his eyelashes when he stood up and kicked a leg out to look more feminine. Noelle giggled again and shook her head before she handed the towel over. While Mikey cleaned himself up Noelle checked her phone and bit her lower lip.

"Hey, would you mind if we went to Central Park later? I was thinking we could go back to the hidden bridge."

His cerulean eyes sparkled at the idea of returning to the hidden spot. "Dude, we haven't been there in, like, forever! Sweet idea. When do you wanna go?"

"Oh, uh, is after dinner okay? I want to shower first." She gestured at her paint-splattered shirt, prompting a chortle from the turtle as he

"Sounds good to me."

**[][][]**

Noelle sat on her bed in clean clothes, her dried hair pulled back into its usual style. She had been staring at her phone's home screen for the past two minutes in hopes that her dad would contact her, but of course there was nothing from him. He hadn't left a voice mail or even sent a text to apologize for the way he'd acted towards her, and she should've known better than to think he would reach out to her, but false hope continued to haunt her thoughts that there was even a remote possibility that Felix would try to talk to her. Thanksgiving was only two days away, and it made her feel lonely to know that neither of her parents would be with her.

A gentle tapping on the door drew her attention away from the device. "Come in."

Surprisingly, it wasn't April or Mikey who opened the door, but Leo instead. He walked forward with his head bowed in some sort of apology and his fingers intertwined like a child who had been caught doing something. Noelle patiently waited for him to speak, unsure as to what had brought him to see her.

"Listen, I just want to apologize for how selfishly we acted after your dad's house burned down."

"But you didn-"

"Yes, we did." Leo took a deep breath, ashamed at what he was about to say. "My main concern at the time should've been your health, but I was just so insistent on clearing Karai's name that I didn't even put you into consideration. It wasn't until Mikey yelled at us about how scared he was of losing you that it really got me thinking about my behavior." He continued on as Noelle sat in stunned silence. "Everything he said was true, and yet even when he began to snap, he wasn't taken seriously. He said you were his best friend and the only person who didn't treat him as a joke, and he's right. Donnie, Raph and I have never fully appreciated just how intelligent he actually is, and it's shameful of me to act like that. I just wanted to thank you for being such a wonderful friend to him, and for making him so happy."

It was a lot for Noelle to take in. She was so touched that Mikey thought so highly of her that she really didn't know what to say. She knew she looked like a ridiculous tomato with a red face, but somehow that didn't bother her as much as it might've at some point. She was flattered and happy that Leo had taken the time to apologize and talk to her about what had happened.

"I understand why you wanted to clear Karai's name," Noelle began, causing the turtle to lift his head up. "I know I would do the same for Mikey, and Donnie and April probably would for each other. When you really care about somebody, you just see the good in them." She clicked her phone off with a sigh. "Like my dad. I love him, and even though I'm still really hurt by what he said, I still have hope that maybe he'll want to talk to me again because I don't believe he actually hates me."

"Of course he doesn't," Leo agreed. "I don't think anybody could hate you. You're a good person, Noelle."

The blonde flushed again. "Thank you, and I don't think Karai is the one who tried to hurt me. I think she is actually a good person too, just really confused right now."

Leo chuckled sadly, his eyes trailing off to the side. "Yeah, she is."

They fell into an awkward silence that had them both looking around to avoid eye contact, unsure of what else to say. A sudden crashing sound in the background followed by Raph yelling and Mikey laughing had both of them biting their lips to prevent laughter from erupting.

"So, I guess I should go see how dinner is going," Leo suggested with a grin. "Are we good?"

"Of course," Noelle replied with her own smile. She shook his extended hand and waved bye to him as he left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She glanced at her phone once more and slipped it into her pocket, no longer as concerned about her dad contacting her by Thanksgiving. She had to believe that everything would work out.

**[][][]**

Dinner consisted of spaghetti that Mikey had attempted to make with grotesque pizza slices and jelly beans, but after being reprimanded by his older hot-headed brother he toned it down to "boring" noodles. Thanks to April's help, garlic bread had been added to the mix, providing the otherwise abnormal family with an actual normal dinner.

Noelle was about to assist with washing dishes when April took the towel from her and gently nudged her out of the kitchen. "It's almost time. Go find Mikey."

Finding the freckled reptile hadn't been the least bit difficult. He was hanging off the couch with his nose practically glued to the pages of an open comic book he was engrossed in. When he heard footsteps approaching he glanced up with a wide grin, still hanging upside down.

"What's up? Ready to go?"

"Um, yes please." Noelle chided herself for sounding like a terrified little girl. She already had her coat on and her fingers shoved into her pockets so he wouldn't see how nervously they moved around, pinching pocket material and tips rubbing against each other. When he stood up and grabbed her wrist to pull her forward, she nearly tripped over her own two feet, which was met with an apologetic expression from him. She took a deep breath, and allowed herself to be guided behind him. What she didn't notice was the pleased smirk on April's face as the redhead stood in the kitchen entryway with a plate in one hand and towel in the other.

**[][][]**

The two snuck through the trees of Central Park as they made their way over to Noelle's secret spot to stay out of sight from prying eyes. The sky was completely concealed by curled grey clouds that blew a chilled breeze across the city of New York. Fortunately, the young turtle had his coat on, a gift of some sort from April's aunt for taking care of her niece. It was in his favorite color, as suggested by April herself, so he absolutely adored it, and Noelle was grateful that he had some sort of protection from the cold.

"Still looks super awesome!" the terrapin bellowed out with his arms up in the air. "Man, it's been a long time since we were here, huh?"

"Mmhmm." Noelle walked up beside him, her eyes anxiously searching the sky before her face split into a smile. "I still like the view."

**[The Amazing Spider Man 2- We're Best Friends]**

"Only the best ever!"he agreed as he turned away from the city skyline to look at his best friend, only to stop when he felt something small and wet fall on his nose. His brows furrowed together in confusion and his eyes widened when another wet dot touched his face. Suddenly, he noticed clusters of alabaster flakes falling around him. "What the..." he began, his eyes lifting up to the sky and lighting up in disbelief. His mouth opened when he saw whites dots peacefully descending from the clouds and landing softly on anything nearby. He extended his hand out without lowering his gaze, allowing more of the wet stuff to coat his finger tips and send a pleasant chill up his spine.

Noelle watched as he just looked around in childish wonderment, full of curiosity and brimming with delight. There was just something so magical about being part of his first snowfall that she couldn't help feeling a little invasive of it. She watched as he ran forward with his arms held out, hands extended to allow more of the snow to touch his fingertips. He was entranced by how perfectly it fell around him, the flakes thick and ivory with little puffed out edges he wanted to touch. When he turned to Noelle, still in a state of marvelous wonder, he almost didn't know what to say.

"I know you've never seen snow before, so I wanted to take you here tonight so you could see it," she began in her usual timid manner. She ignored the shaking of her arms as she reached into her coat and pulled out an orange hat and scarf, her lips curling up when she saw how he just glowed. "You've been so kind to me and I don't know if I could ever repay you for what you've done, but I wanted to show you how beautiful snow was. You've been in the sewers for so long that you've missed just how pretty winter can be, and I thought maybe you would like to wear these to help with the cold."

Still speechless, Mikey stepped forward and lowered his head so Noelle could wrap the scarf around his neck and place the hat onto his head. It was when he looked her right in the eyes that all his emotions came at bay. He began to laugh like a child, his eyes closed as he tilted his head back and allowed more of the snow to fall on his face and even his tongue. He twisted around and surprised the blonde by picking her up and twirling her around, both of them laughing and so lost in the joy of the moment that the near proximity didn't catch them off guard. Noelle pressed her forehead against his, cheeks pink from the cold and laughter.

When the spinning stopped and he set her down, his hand grabbed hers as he continued watching the amazing display before him. Noelle felt her face flush when she gazed up and watched Mikey, her fingers clasped around his tightly in a state of blissful serenity.


	20. Gratitude

_**Sorry for the delay, guys! I've had a lot to deal with but I'm back and better now. : ) Please enjoy, and as always, thanks for the amazing reviews.**_

**Chapter 20: Gratitude**

Waking up that Thursday morning felt rather different than other days. There was a sort of content tranquility in the air that immediately brightened Noelle's spirits as she woke up in the room she'd lovingly come to call "her own". A scent of heated cinnamon prompted her stomach to growl, compelling her to wake up and join whoever else might be awake at nine in the morning.

She departed from her dim room and headed to the den, where she was both excited to see Leo and Donnie watching the opening show to the New York Thanksgiving Parade. Each of them were munching on about four cinnamon rolls, all of which were puffed up and steaming through the thick icy glaze. She could almost taste the texture on her tongue as she watched Leo chew delightfully on one. Embarrassed over just analyzing their food and eating habits, Noelle briskly walked to the kitchen, returning Donnie and Leo's greetings before she entered into the dining area.

"Hey, what's up girl?" Mikey called out with a cheerful grin from his spot at the counter. He was leaning over two large pans of the delicious rolls and squeezing the frosting tube so hard that it had exploded all over his hands and the pan. Regardless of his mess, he was beaming like a child on Christmas, and his joyous attitude was so contagious that the blonde found herself unable to not smile.

The best part of the whole scene was that he still wore the hat she'd gifted to him.

"Good morning Mikey. Happy Thanksgiving," Noelle greeted as she sat on one of the stools at the table. While she watched his hands move around she subconsciously intertwined hers together, her cheeks already growing warm so early in the day. She couldn't help thinking about the night before when they'd not only watched the first snowfall together, but had held hands too. It wasn't meant to be anything romantic, but the mere memory of it made her heart pound, especially when she recalled how he'd spun her around in his arms before-hand. The whole moment had been sweet and wonderful, lingering on her mind all the way until she'd finally fallen asleep with a content smile on her face.

If he noticed her staring, Mikey didn't say anything. He grabbed a nearby plate and loaded it with four crookedly circular rolls with uneven frosting before he handed it to her with his usual simper. "There ya go! Enjoy!" He winked and went to work on the other plates for himself, Raph and Splinter. April and Casey would show up around lunchtime to help prepare the feast, and the turkey was already cooking in the oven, so meals were set for the rest of the day.

Noelle thanked him and made her way back to the living room to join the other brothers in watching the parade. Her and Donnie eventually had their daily coffee, and Raph was forcefully woken up by his youngest brother to eat and watch TV with everybody else. Over all, the morning was a familial event that Noelle found herself lost in, but enjoyed every minute of. Master Splinter taking part in the informal breakfast ceremony just made everything even better, reminding her of Thanksgiving mornings at her grandma's house. They hadn't been nearly as eventful as the one in the lair, but the atmosphere had still been cozy and warm.

By the time the parade was over and dishes had been cleaned up, Casey and April had arrived with dishes full of food for the feast later. When April saw how Mikey was still wearing his hat she smirked knowingly at Noelle, who flushed and turned away out of embarrassment. Casey didn't say anything, but he did feel pretty clueless on what the little exchange had been about.

"Thank you both for coming," Splinter appreciatively thanked the two teens with a smile, ignoring how the hockey player still tensed up while around the giant rat. "Please follow me."

Noelle trailed after April and Casey around the kitchen, helping however she could with unloading and preparing the food, all the while oblivious to how Mikey would briefly glance at her from the corner of his eye before turning red and returning to his work. He was the prime chef of the whole operation since he was the only one who knew how to cook besides April, but instead of enlisting the red head for help he ended up asking the blonde instead.

"See, you gotta do it like this." Mikey angled the sweet potato downwards in the sink and expertly used a sharp knife to create little shapes within the spud while Noelle watched in fascination. He etched out chunks of the vegetable until it was in the shape of a ninja star, earning a clap from the blonde beside him while he beamed proudly. "Dude, we need a picture for our phones! I don't have one!" he enthusiastically suggested prior to briskly wiping his finger on his legs and yanking out his phone. He scooted next to Noelle, who turned pink when his cheek touched hers but smiled all the same as he lifted his device up and aimed it at their faces. "Say pizza!"

"Pizza!" she managed to say at an audible level before he pressed a button at the top and released a clicking sound. Mikey stepped away to get a good look at the picture, an excited squeal escaping his mouth when he glimpsed at the results.

"Dude, we look totally awesome! Look!" He showed Noelle the photo, who couldn't prevent her lips from curling up when she saw how happy and close they looked. It was the only friendship photo she'd ever taken, and just staring at it filled her with a blissful feeling that she couldn't describe. "I'll send it to you. It's gonna be my new background for sure!"

"Mine too," she shyly admitted. "I'll go get my phone." Noelle hurriedly left the kitchen and tried to avoid thinking about how fast her heart was beating. She felt silly for getting so flustered over a picture, but seeing the two of them looking so happy together just made her feel so jovial.

Noelle entered her bedroom and headed for the bedside table. She reached for her phone and froze when she noticed that her dad had called about a half hour ago. She gradually sat down on the bed and took deep breaths, her heart now racing in an entirely different manner that left her insides feeling unpleasantly warm. Goosebumps crawled up her skin as her nerves collided with each other, her thoughts a consistent battle of whether she should return the call or not. It should have been a simple answer that didn't leave her feeling so confused, but she really didn't know what to do and it bothered her immensely.

For five minutes she sat on her bed, knees pulled up to her chest and hair tangled over her shoulders in a knotted mess. Noelle kept biting her lower lip until she was sure she'd chewed off a portion while her feet tapped against the sheets as her toes continually curled up into the comforter. It was amazing how within minutes her entire day had shifted over, but not necessarily unpleasantly. He may not have left a voicemail of some sort or sent a text to say what was on his mind, but at least he had initiated some sort of contact with her, and that was something he'd never really done before. It was confusing how one moment he wanted nothing to do with her and the next he was trying to speak with her again.

"Yo, you okay Blondie?"

Noelle gazed up and saw Casey standing in the doorway, one hand covering an inch of the space's frame while the other was burrowed into his jeans' pocket. His brows were furrowed together in concern as he observed his friend appearing to be depressed, and felt guilty that he'd wished April had been the one to check on the timid girl instead. He didn't always know what to say in certain situations, so if it was some girl problem then he'd be completely and utterly screwed.

"My dad called me."

"Oh." That was all he needed to hear before he put two and two together. Like everybody else, he was angry over how Felix had talked to his daughter, as if she was just some mere nuisance who didn't have problems of her own to go through. He had to admit he was just as surprised as she was that that her dad had even called at all, especially on Thanksgiving. "What did he say?"

"He called when I wasn't in here, and he didn't leave a message." Noelle pursued her nervous habit of playing with her hair. "Should I call him back?"

"Do you want to call him back?"

"I do, but I'm just perplexed."

"What?"

"Confused."

"Gotcha." Casey thought of his own dad and felt a deep rage inside. Even on the holidays his old man insisted on ignoring his kids and just remained in the recliner chair watching old reruns of westerns and crime shows. It was sickening how his little sister had to endure not only not having a mom, but also a deadbeat dad. Casey was the one who took care of her, and who also walked her to her friend's house so she didn't have to go alone. She was currently at her best friend's place for Thanksgiving, and wouldn't be home for about two days. He was just grateful her friend's family was aware of the circumstances and did what they could to help out. "I can't blame you there. I don't even know if I'd call him, to be honest."

Noelle unfolded her legs and stood up, twisting her finger out of her hair's clutches. "I understand, but what if it was your dad? Would you do the same?"

"My dad's a jerk who doesn't even deserve to be called dad," he retaliated with a snort while he pushed himself off the frame. "He doesn't give a crap about me or my sister, and I say good riddance. We don't need him."

The blonde gaped at her friend in shock. "He is?"

"Oh yeah. He basically stopped living life when mom left, so now he's just a lazy good-for-nothing who stays home all day. He never goes to parent meetings or asks how my day is. He just doesn't care." Casey scoffed at the floor before he took a deep breath to fight off the feeling of breaking something. In regards to his temper he was pretty on par with Raph, but he'd gotten a lot better at controlling his attitude and desire to hit things. "Anyways, it's about what you feel comfortable with, but you wanted him to call you, right?"

"Yes, which is why I think I will call him back in a moment. Thank you Casey." Noelle graciously smiled at the hockey player before her eyes widened. "Oh, was there something you needed?"

The vigilante shook his head. "Nah, I was just sent to check up on you by April. Take your time, Blondie." He gave a little wave before disappearing back into the hallway, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Noelle shut the door behind him and sat back down on the bed while her thumbs anxiously rubbed the blank screen. She crossed her fingers and finally hit the redial button, unsure of what to even expect. He'd reached out to her, so that was a good sign, unless it was to tell her he really did want her out of his life. What would she do then? First her mom, now her dad? Was he just that disgusted with-

"Noelle?"

His voice interrupted her thoughts, leaving her feeling pitiful and defenseless. "Hi dad."

"Hey kiddo. I was just wondering if we could, uh, talk privately. I'm renting a hotel room right now until things get sorted, but I was thinking maybe you could come here? It's not too far from my place, well, my old place anyways."

Noelle lowered her eyes in guilt even though he couldn't see her. "Yeah, sure. When?"

"Well, does now sound okay? I'm not really doing anything and I figured you might have some dinner plans or something."

She bit her lower lip, which had recently become a terrible habit for her, and hoped that the others would understand that she wouldn't be around to help for a couple hours. She had a feeling they would though, so she decided to take him up on his offer. "That's fine. Where are you?"

Once he gave her the address and they both hung up, Noelle dressed herself in a deep violet sweater and a pair of jeans before she brushed the knots out of her hair and pinned the strands back. She slid into her jacket and pushed her phone into her pocket before she hid her weapon in her shoulder bag. She wondered if maybe she'd be allowed to go alone this time so none of her friends had to deal with the meager task of escorting her during the holiday. She understood their concern, but she had a feeling that she would be safe today.

Once she was certain she had everything she needed, Noelle exited her room and headed to the den where everybody was gathered and watching some animated Thanksgiving special. Even Splinter had seated himself on one of the couched to enjoy family time while drinking his daily cup of tea, though his ears perked up when he heard her shuffling nearby. He turned to look at her, brows raised when he noticed her wearing her coat.

"Where are you planning to go?"

Hearing him speak, the others also turned to look at Noelle, who was now flushing from all the attention. "My dad called and asked me to meet him, so if it's alright with you I'd like to go see him."

"Even after he talked to you like that?" Raph asked, his arms folded across his plastron. "No thank you."

"Yo, it's up to Noelle, not you," Mikey gently argued. He understood where his big brother was coming from, but he also knew how important this was to Noelle and just how badly she needed answers and closure. As if sensing what his freckled sibling was thinking, Raph firmly shut his mouth and turned away, but his foot tapped restlessly on the ground.

"I have to," the blonde responded, trying to sound as determined as she possibly could. "He's my dad, and even though what he did hurt..." she sighed at the fresh sting, "...I still need to make things right with him. I am really sorry to do this though. Um, I should be back before dinner."

Leo stood up. "I can walk you if you-"

"Aww dude, that's my job!" Mikey whined with a pout, prompting the girl to stare at her feet as she blushed.

"Maybe she should do this by herself."

Everybody looked at Casey, who leaned forward next to April with his elbows resting on his knees. He and April exchanged a look of agreement before he nodded at Noelle. "You've got this. If you need somebody to go with you then that's fine, but I think this is something you should do by yourself."

"Absolutely not," Splinter dismissed with a wave of his claw. "It is far too dangerous right now for her to be walking around alone."

"I have my weapon with me, and my phone too, Sensei. I promise I'll be okay. If it would help settle matters though, then I can always text somebody when I'm finished and they can pick me up at the nearest entrance." Noelle wasn't one to go against the wishes of a parental figure, but she really needed time to gather her thoughts and think, at least before she met with her dad. The lair was hidden, so the idea of somebody entering the tunnel to take her didn't seem very valid, and even if that were the case she'd be able to activate the alarm on her phone before anything happened.

Although he clearly still wasn't keen on the idea, Splinter sighed and nodded. "Very well, but the moment something doesn't seem right, do not hesitate to reach out to us. Do you understand, my child?"

His caring endearment brought a smile to the blonde's face. "Hai, Sensei."

"Then please proceed." On that note, the mutant father continued sipping his tea, but his eyes didn't leave his pupil's form. He fondly watched as Mikey and April embraced her before she left, and then he returned his attention back to the childish movie. "Hmmm. Kids."

**[][][]**

Thanks to a couple months of navigating underground and learning the tunnel system, Noelle was able to find the desired exit without much difficulty. She used the marks along the sewer walls as a guide to reach her destination, which was fortunately not too far from the lair. The trip itself proved to be what she needed to clear her mind and gather what she was planning to say to him. The problem was, she didn't know why he even wanted to talk to her, so everything she was planning to say could all be incorrect and not go with the situation. He hadn't necessarily sounded angry over the phone, but that didn't mean he wasn't. He'd already made it perfectly clear that he didn't want anything to do with raising her anymore, that she was just some sort of "problem" he didn't want to deal with. Just thinking about the anger and seriousness in his tone brought a lump to her throat and tears to her eyes that she hastily wiped away. She hadn't come by herself to cry.

The streets above grew louder as she climbed up the ladder and used all of her strength to push the heavy cover off. It was only when she had lowered the cover back down that she noticed the homeless man standing nearby with his shopping loaded with empty bottles and plastic bags. Terrified at having been caught, she stepped forward with her hands held up as she tried to explain herself. "Sir, I-"

"Mmm ooo ghh."

"Pardon?"

"Mm grr llyy."

She let out a sigh of relief at his lack of communication skills. She doubted he'd be talking to anybody. "Happy Thanksgiving sir."

He waved and wandered off, leaving her alone with a hand over her pounding heart. She was lucky it hadn't been a cop or somebody else who would've found her suspicious. Noelle took a deep breath and pulled out the folded piece of paper with the address sprawled out on it before she began her search. Luckily, Big Apple Hotel wasn't difficult to find due to its bright red bricks popping out among a colorless street. She ran across the road as the pedestrian symbol began to blink, barely making it across before a taxi took off behind her. She caught her breath and headed into the building.

The lobby itself was rather nice with two leather couches and three armchairs surrounding a glass coffee table. A young man in his early twenties stood at the smooth wooden front desk, appearing rather bored as he typed on the computer, little clicks and taps filling the modest-sized room. He barely glanced up as Noelle walked by and offered a smile, his ebony hair shining beneath fluorescent lighting as his head turned to follow her movements for but a minute before returning to his work.

Noelle found the elevator and took it to the third floor while her foot tapped nervously to upbeat piano music. As the elevator stopped and the doors opened to reveal a narrow burgundy hallway, she suddenly wished Mikey was with her. She closed her eyes and remembered how happy the night before had been, the smile on his face as they laughed and stood in the falling snow for nearly an hour like small children eager to make snow angels. He had talked about how amazing it was the entire way home, filling her with a sort of blissful pride that _she_'d been the one to show him just how magical snow really was. The thought brought a smile to her face and calmed her nerves, her fingers reaching outwards and curling up like he was next to her holding her hand. With a new serene attitude, she strolled forward and followed the gold-plated signs until she was in front of Room 318.

**[The Fault in Our Stars-Christmas Tree]**

"You can do this," she whispered to herself. She nonchalantly raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against the ivory door, her heart pounding anxiously in her ears. She stood back and hardly waited a moment before the door was flung open by Felix, who appeared far worse than before. It broke her heart to see the circles beneath his eyes and shadow of bristles over his chin and jaw. While she knew the circumstances hadn't been her fault, she couldn't imagine all the stress the past few days had brought him. All his hard work had been destroyed along with his home, and his ex wife was still missing. All the stress had physically and mentally taken a toll on his already tired body.

"Oh, uh, hey kiddo. Come in." He stepped back to permit her entry, which Noelle did so hesitantly. He did not smile as he watched her enter, nor did she expect him to as she took a seat on the corner of his unmade Queen sized bed. The TV was off and numerous plastic bags were scattered across the floor next to a desk with his laptop open. Felix closed the door and sat on the desk chair, his eyes looking anywhere but at her. "So, glad to see you got here okay."

"I did." The atmosphere was already awkward. "Happy Thanksgiving dad."

"Huh? Oh yeah, you too." He rubbed the back of his graying hair and sighed. "Listen, I just wanted to apologize to you. " Noelle sat up straight and surprised. "I'm not a good dad, and I never have been. Your mom and I, well...we were, uh, young and foolish. We didn't know how to raise a kid, and I didn't have any parents to go off of."

Noelle had always wondered about her paternal grandparents, but all her mom had said was that they passed away in a car accident in the middle of winter. She never brought it up because she didn't want to make her dad upset. She remained silent and allowed him to continue speaking.

"Your great grandparents were the ones who raised me. Eventually grandma got sick and grandpa followed soon after. That's what love does to you, I guess." He sighed and hunched over with his legs spread out and elbows resting on his knees with his fingers intertwined. "I actually met your mom in high school and ended up moving in with her and her mom. I eventually found out we were expecting you, which left me no choice but to marry her. That's just what was seen as appropriate."

After a moment of silence Noelle finally asked the question that had been on her mind for a while. She took a deep breath, not because she was afraid, but because she hoped that the answer she was about to receive didn't disappoint her. "Are you worried about mom at all?"

"Of course I am. I've barely been sleeping because of it, and to know that somebody is after you too really makes me upset."

"Then why don't you seem like it?" She bit her tongue, hating how much guilt she was pushing him under. It wasn't that Noelle wanted her father to feel guilty, but she was confused as to why he didn't bother asking how she was doing or even try to help find her mom. He seemed far too calm for somebody whose daughter was in danger of being taken.

"Because I don't know how," he responded, but this time he sounded like a broken man. "What do you say to your daughter about her kidnapped mom? What do I even do? I don't know if the police are looking or not, or if you need your space. You're a teenager."

"One who was very lonely and wanted her dad," Noelle replied with tears clouding up her vision. "I thought you and mom hated me for the longest time. I had no friends and my parents didn't want anything to do with me. I'm only happy and safe now because of my new friends, and they've made me feel like part of a family for a long time. I even have a best friend named Mikey who means the world to me, but you don't know about him because you've never asked." It was as if a dam had broken and everything was rushing out in one giant wave while tears streamed down her face. "I'm so happy with them dad, and I don't feel alone anymore. I'm scared to talk to you right now because I keep expecting you to shut me out at anytime. I just want to know that you don't hate me."

His lips had parted, and this time tears of his own filled his eyes. He hesitantly reached a hand forward and wiped away a tear on Noelle's face while she apprehensively stared at him. "You think I hate you?" he choked out.

"I don't know." She sniffled with a trembling lip. "No, I guess not. I was just so alone."

Felix stood up and pulled his daughter into a hug, the first hug he'd given her in years. It was awkward, but he was finally there for her, and that was all that mattered. "I'm sorry Noelle. I'm so sorry." His little girl sobbed against him, just as she'd done all those years ago when she was a toddler who had fallen and scraped her knee in the park, and his own tears rolled down his cheeks.

He'd been a fool, an absolute fool.

**[+]**

**[][][]**

Mikey paced both anxiously and excitedly next to the ladder as he wondered how the meeting had gone. When he'd received the text from Noelle that she'd finally finished with her dad, he had wasted no time in hurrying over to pick her up. Two hours of celebrating Thanksgiving without her had just felt like way too long.

A beam of light shone into the tunnel as Noelle pulled the cover back with a grunt before she beamed down at her friend with bright eyes. Happy to see that things had seemingly turned out okay, Mikey grinned right back. He climbed up the ladder so he was on the surface with her before he hunched over and offered her his back while she stared at him. "Just felt like you might want somebody to lean on and talk to," he suggested, and with a smile she accepted.

"Thank you." Noelle comfortable held onto him as he shut the cover and effortlessly climbed back down into the city's depths. She pressed her cheek against the top of his shell while he waited for her to talk. "He apologized to me."

Mikey hummed and nodded. "Well that's good. I think it's a nice big step in the right direction, whatever way that is."

"You know, I'm not sure," she giggled. "But I think you're right."

"So, did he say why he was acting like a jerk?"

Her gaze softened. "He did, and I forgive him for it. He really didn't have any parental figures to learn from, and he and mom weren't ready when I was born. They just didn't know how to deal with parenting, so like me with art, they escaped life through their work. Unfortunately, they neglected me a little too, but I think it's safe to say that he loves me."

Mikey smiled for but a moment before his cheerful demeanor faded away. "Does that mean you're living with him again?"

"Nope! I'm still with you all until I find mom," Noelle responded, laughing as he did a jovial skip. "Dad was on board with the idea, and I think he deserves some time to himself and a break from everything that's happening."

"But you haven't had a break from anything."

"I know it seems that way, but I'm really enjoying living with you, well, you guys." She sighed as she blushed once more, feeling silly again at her bashful behavior. Mikey didn't seem to notice though; if anything, he was positively elated at her staying with them longer than he thought, though he did hope that they found her mom soon. The lair wouldn't be the same without Noelle, but she definitely needed her mom. It wasn't fair to her to make her wait longer.

Soon enough the pair arrived back to the brightly lit lair. Upon hearing the turnstiles clicking, April came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on Mikey's stained apron while sweat coated her forehead. "Hey guys! Welcome back!"

"Thank you." Noelle closed her eyes and took in the intoxicating smells, her stomach rumbling in the process. She unzipped her coat and headed into the kitchen to provide her assistance while Mikey followed close behind to help as well. The three of them had potatoes peeled and mashed in no time, along with a perfectly heated turkey, stuffing, green beans, and rolls with better. The table was set, and the others were called to dinner.

"This looks really good. Nice job guys," Leo complimented as he studied the food with hungry eyes.

"Thanks." April beamed at the compliment and seated herself next to Donnie.

The food was passed around in a surprisingly calm manner, though Mikey stealing a roll off of Raph's plate was enough to start an argument that was quickly silenced by Splinter's cane thumping on the ground. Mashed potatoes were covered in miniature pools of gravy, slabs of butter melted on steaming bread, and thick slices of turkey were evenly sliced by Casey to go with mounds of stuffing. It was a little louder than the Thanksgivings Noelle was used to, but she'd grown to accept and love the noise.

Halfway through the meal, April tapped her fork gently against her glass to gather everybody's attention. "So, one of the traditions usually done on Thanksgiving is going around and saying what we're grateful for, at least, that's what was usually done at my house."

Raph frowned. "Do we have to? Seems kinda lame."

"Yes, you do," the redhead glared back, earning a snort from Casey. "You too Jones."

"Yeah whatever."

"I'll start. I'm grateful for my aunt and for being friends with all of you."

"Too sappy."

"Raphael, you may think about what you are thankful for in your room if you so wish it."

"Sorry Sensei."

One by one, each person at the table named something they were grateful for. For Donnie it was April and his intelligence, which prompting a chortle from Casey that ended in a sharp kick from the lanky terrapin. Casey was glad for hockey, Raph for his fists, though whether he was serious or not was anybody's guess, Leo was thankful for his Katanas and Space Heroes, and Splinter for all his children, including the human ones.

When it was Mikey's turn, he straightened up and looked at Noelle with a smile on his face. "I'm thankful for Noelle for being the most awesome best person ever!" Noelle felt her face burn as she felt every pair of eyes staring at her. "I'm also thankful for pizza and my comics and my brothers and Casey and April and-"

"Okay, I think it's Noelle's turn," Leo interrupted with a pat on his little brother's shoulder. The freckled reptile pouted at not being able to finish naming off his list, but he remained silent anyways and waited for his friend to speak like everybody else.

"We-well, I'm also very grateful for Mikey for being my best friend," Noelle voiced, her fingers twitching nervously beneath the table. She heard him triumphantly laugh before Raph kicked him. When she saw the encouraging smile from April. she felt some of the anxiety go away. "I am also grateful for all of you for helping me out and making me feel like I'm part of the family. Thank you so much."

"It has been our privilege," Splinter replied with his usual fatherly smile before he glanced at all his children. "Now, I believe we were going to have some pie?"

As little cheers went up around the table, Noelle felt herself grinning. She looked down at her phone and admired the background of her and Mikey, and realized that although she wasn't with her actual family this Thanksgiving, it was still proving to be the best one so far. She exchanged a childish wave with Mikey from across the table, and suddenly things seemed bright. She would find her mom, and she'd do it with the help of her new family.


	21. Realization

_**Thanks for your patience! Enjoy the new chapter! I've been looking forward to writing it!**_

**Chapter 21: Realization**

Noelle couldn't believe that Christmas was only 15 days away.

The days following Thanksgiving flew by. Noelle trained as much as she could with Splinter, leaving her exhausted and sore but feeling stronger than ever. She went on patrol with the turtles at night, all of them wrapped up in their winter gear as the air turned frigid and frosty. While she knew she was still nowhere near the boys' level of fitness and skill, she'd still come a long way than when she'd first started. She was able to pull herself up higher ledges and vault over narrow gaps without any problems, something of which she was really proud of. Whenever April came along on the patrols, the two girls would help each other with little boosts up taller walls and encouragement during fights. Noelle still wasn't directly involved in combat, but if somebody came her way she would get a few hits in until one of the guys came over to help her.

However, with each passing day Noelle also became more and more uneasy. Was her mom locked up in some horrible cage and neglected? Was Savannah suffering while her daughter ate with friends and fought against gang members on a daily basis? It just didn't seem right to Noelle, so she promised herself that her mom would be rescued no matter what. The only unfortunate thing was that even with the bugs Donnie continued to send out, there still wasn't a trace of the Kraang and their hideout. It was unsettling.

What was perhaps the most troubling of all at the moment though was that Noelle wanted to just lay in bed all day. Her forehead was hot and covered with sweat, and yet she was freezing at the same time. She curled in on herself and stuck her hands between her knees so that her body warmth would heat up her palms. She groggily eyed the clock and noticed that it was already ten. Usually she would be up by now, but she just couldn't seem to force herself to wake up. Still, she didn't want to be rude to everybody else, so she pushed herself to stand up on her wobbly legs and shakily slip her robe on before she stumbled out of her room and towards the den.

As soon as Mikey saw her shuffling awkwardly down the hall, he knew something was wrong.

"Noelle!" he called out as he rushed over and caught her before she landed face-first on the ground. He worriedly stared at her scarlet face and briefly glanced at Leo, who immediately sprinted towards Donnie's lab. "Hey, you okay?" he asked her with concern as he wiped a bead of perspiration off her forehead.

"Really hot," she mumbled out before attempting to push herself back up. Her clothes felt like they were sticking to her skin.

"Thanks girl! I try," Mikey teased with a wink, earning a weak embarassed chuckle from the blonde.

Donnie spurted out of his lab towards them with his little white medical kit that he always kept nearby in case of an emergency. He knelt beside the sickly girl and placed a hand on her forehead. "She's running a fever," he stated before he inserted a thermometer into her mouth. A moment later it beeped off and his eyes widened. " Her temperature is 103. We need to get her back to bed now so she can sweat it out. I'll give her some medicine first." He reached into his kit and grabbed a bottle to pop out two pills. "Leo, can you grab me some water please?"

"Got it."

The Leader rushed into the kitchen, leaving the two brothers alone with their coughing ill friend. "Mikey, do you mind carrying her to her room after she takes her medicine?"

"No problemo dude."

Leo returned with the drink and handed it to Noelle, who took the pills with and cup with trembling hands while Mikey laid a palm on her upper back to help keep her up. She really wasn't well, and he was trying not to be worried about it for her sake. She looked completely miserable as she downed the medicine before she fell into him in an exhausted heap. He stood up with her in his arms and followed Donatello back to Noelle's room while Leo observed from behind.

The lights were left off as Mikey sat her on the bed and aided her in taking her robe off. Once the material had been shed he laid her down, trying not wince over how warm her skin felt through her clothing.

"I'm sorry," Noelle mumbled in embarrassment. "I don't know what happened."

"It's okay," he reassured her with his usual smile. "D is gonna take good care of you and I'll be around too." He reached over and tenderly squeezed her hand.

Donnie walked through the doorway with a drenched washcloth, his eyes not missing the way his little brother's hand was protectively wrapped around Noelle's. He smiled at the display and decided not to tease him about it, for now, at least. "Here we go. This should help cool her down a little." The lanky turtle stood next to Mikey and set the cool cloth over Noelle's forehead. "I'll make sure somebody comes in every two hours to check in on her. We should probably let her rest now."

"Okay." Mikey didn't really want to leave her, but he knew she really needed to sleep. Noticing that she'd already started her slumber, he gave her hand one more squeeze before he followed his older brother out of the room, only turning around to look at her once before he closed the door.

"Feel better, okay?"

**[][][]**

True to Donnie's word, somebody went to check on the poor sick girl every couple hours. Her rag was changed, and April helped take Noelle to the bathroom a couple times when she needed to use it. Lunch was skipped because she was simply too tired to eat, but when dinnertime finally rolled around, April prepared a bowl of chicken noodle soup and grabbed some water to bring to her friend. Mikey had been restless with worry the entire day, so when he saw a chance to spend time with Noelle he took it by following the red head back to the blonde's room. Fortunately, Noelle seemed ready to eat by that time.

"Thank you. I'm sorry about all this."

All three friends were seated comfortably on the bed as Noelle gradually sipped her soup, the hot liquid wetting her dry throat and lips. She had regained some color back in her face, no longer being the exhausted pale person she'd been after first waking up that morning. The sleep had really done her a lot of good, and from what Donnie had gathered from taking her temperature right before he meal, her fever had dropped to 100.

"Hey, everybody gets sick," April stated with a sympathetic smile on her face. "I'm just sorry that it's you right now."

"Yeah, why couldn't it have been Raph?" Mikey added on. "Although I guess if he was sick I wouldn't be able to bug him all day."

The red head smirked and rolled her eyes. "So Noelle, Christmas is coming up. You got any plans?"

Noelle lowered her empty bowl down and leaned back against her propped up pillow, her fingers resting over her blanketed stomach. When she was younger, the idea of Christmas had always excited her. It wasn't the presents that she looked forward to the most, but rather the whole magical serene atmosphere of not only the special day, but some of the days leading up to it as well. It was as if everybody suddenly got along and believed that peace on Earth could actually be achieved, and to be able to watch the snow fall from her bedroom window just added to the enchantment.

This year would be different though. She didn't feel as excited as she usually did, and it left a gaping hole in her heart that she never knew existed until now. "To be honest, I haven't given it much though," she responded while trying not to let the ache she felt sneak into her voice. "It'll be different this year, so I'm not entirely sure what to do."

Recognition and melancholy gleamed in April's eyes. "I understand how you feel. This will be my first Christmas without dad, just like this will be yours without your mom, right?"

The blonde nodded. It comforted Noelle a little to know that somebody else was going through the same thing she was, even though she wished that wasn't the case. The idea of somebody experiencing Christmas without their parent was just really dismal, especially since it was one of her closest friends. Still, that was something that the two girls bonded over, and maybe they could use that to help each other out if the holiday became too emotional for either of them.

"But you guys got me and my bros," Mikey clarified with a grin, eager to clear out the suddenly heavy atmosphere. "It'll be totally great!"

"Yeah, you're right." April playfully nudged the terrapin with a smirk.

Noelle gazed at her green friend in thought. "Do you and your family usually decorate the lair for Christmas?"

"Uh, not really. I mean, sometimes D finds stuff out in the dump and we might put it around somewhere, but that's it." Mikey's eyes lit up. "Ooh, we could totally decorate this year! Let's do it!"

"My thoughts exactly," the redhead agreed. "We'll even get a tree and some ornaments."

Noelle thought back to the small Christmas tree her and her mom had up every year. Of course, she was the one who ended up decorating with what little decorations they had. Her favorite part of the festive design was the angel at the top. She liked to sit in the dark and watch it glow because it made her not feel so alone, like there was hope out there for her to find a new friend and somehow earn the love of her parents one day. Even now, with all her friends and the renewed relationship between her and her dad, she still thought the angel on the tree was the most beautiful decoration of all.

"We always used an angel to top our tree," she vocalized. "It was like a beacon of hope for me." Her eyes trailed over to April. "What did you use?"

"A star. I always got to stick it on top of the tree." April smiled fondly at the memory before she noticed her friend's empty bowl. "Well, we should let you rest. Let's head out Mikey."

"Feel better!" The orange-masked reptile pulled his friend into a tight hug and skipped out of the room, content and elated with the whole idea of decorating. Noelle smiled and scooted down below the covers when her light was turned off, where she slipped into a deep sleep while thinking of trees and angels.

**[][][]**

The next day, Noelle still didn't feel well, but her fever had at least broken. She was mostly just exhausted and needed to rest some more, much to Mikey's disappointment. He was hoping she'd be up to help them decorate with the items April and Casey had brought over, but he cheered up when Leo suggested that it could all just be a big surprise for her when she felt better.

The tree the two humans brought down was a fake, as it would have been extremely difficult to lug a real one into the sewers. Mikey played Christmas music on the radio and hummed out the songs he knew with a jovial grin that barely left his face, even though his eyes constantly turned towards Noelle's room to see if she had miraculously recovered. His good mood only increased when April gave each of the brothers a round green ornament with a ribbon that matched their mask and a pair of googly eyes on top to give a representation of them. It was a dorky adorable gift that Raph teased her about but happily accepted anyways. Casey had some hockey ornaments to add on, and April had brought a couple boxes of hers from home with the brothers' help.

"What's this?"

April turned away from the tree to look at Mikey, who was holding what looked like two small leaves held together by three plastic red berries.

"That's mistletoe," she explained, already regretting what she was telling him. "When it's over two people's heads they have to kiss under it."

"Oh realllly?" With a sneaky smirk Mikey ran over to Donnie and held the mistletoe up so he could give his older brother a big kiss on the cheek. Donnie scoffed and rubbed the wet spot on his face. "I love you D!"

"Gee thanks."

"Mwah! Love you Leo!"

"Ugh, love you too."

"Don't you dare touch me don't you dare-ugh! Mikey!"

"And I love you Raph!" Pleased with his progress in annoying his brothers, the energetic terrapin stuck the fake plant in his belt in case he needed to pull it out and be annoying later.

April just shook her head and wished that Noelle could've been around to see the holiday chaos. She only hoped her friend got better soon.

**[][][]**

Noelle slept the entire day away, waking up only to eat soup like she had before. This time, Mikey brought in his radio so they could listen to Christmas music together, humming and singing along to the familiar tunes that she had grown up with. She felt her spirits gradually lifting up as she listened to him talking about the ornament April had given him and how he'd discovered what mistletoe was and had used it on his brothers, prompting the blonde to laugh before bursting into a coughing fit.

Once the meal was over, she ended up sleeping the rest of the day until night finally arrived and she felt her shoulder being shaken.

"Noelle."

She groggily squeezed her eyes shut, convinced she was still dreaming as she snuggled against the pillow and basked in the warmth of her blanket.

"Psst! Noelle! Wake up!"

She forced her eyes to finally open, only to peer through the darkness and into Mikey's excited face. "Mikey?"

"Yeah!" he loudly whispered as he stepped back. "I have something to show you! C'mon!"

Her eyes glanced at her clock to see that it was exactly midnight. She was confused as to what was going on, but Mikey looked like he would burst from enthusiasm at any moment, so she decided to follow along and see what he was up to. He extended a hand out and she slipped hers into his, her face growing warm as he pulled her out of the room.

"Close your eyes."

She did as he said, trusting his direction as he navigated her into the hallway and towards the unknown. It wasn't long until she felt herself stop and his hand left hers, though she could have sworn he had squeezed it before letting go. "Okay, and open!"

**[Frozen-We Were So Close]**

When she opened her eyes she saw the den with a modest-sized Christmas tree right next to the TV. Ribbons were hung up everywhere, along with some bells and garland. The tree was covered with ornaments and lights, glowing beautifully within the darkness of the lair. A round rug lay at the base of the artificial plant, and thin strings of lights hung off of the ceiling.

"It's so pretty," she breathed out, unable to prevent the smile from spreading across her lips as she took in the whole majestic scene. Mikey looked pleased with her response and guided her forward until they were right in front of the glowing tree.

"It's just missing something," he coyly stated as he reached down beside one of the couches and pulled up a familiar looking angel.

Her breath caught in her throat. It was the one her and her mom used every single year back at the apartment building. Luckily, it had somehow remained unscathed from the commotion that had taken place only a few months ago. She shakily reached out to take it, pressing it firmly against her chest in some sort of hug.

"Hope you don't mind, but April, Casey and I went back to your place earlier to find it. I'm glad it's still in one piece," he admitted. "I thought you would want to put it up."

She nodded earnestly and watched as he hunched down so she could climb on and reach the top of the tree. She sat on his shell, extended the angel out and set it right at the very top. She flipped the switch on its side on, causing it to glow just as beautifully as she remembered. Noelle slid off of his shell and put her feet flat on the floor, her eyes not once leaving the angelic glow. Her heart suddenly hurt as she was hit full-force by the realization that it would be the first Christmas without her mom. Her heartache combined with the remnants of a fever caused tears to spring to her eyes as she sank to the floor, her shaking frame immediately enveloped by warm arms as Mikey lowered himself to the same level as her and held onto her.

**[+]**

"I'm sorry," she whispered as she hastily tried to scrub away the trails of water rolling down her face. "I really am happy, I promise."

Mikey gently rubbed her back and rested his face against her head while he sat on his knees. "It's okay, I get it. It's okay to be a little sad and miss your mom." He watched as she continued to wipe away more tears, but unlike the other times she'd cried there was at least a smile on her face, and he couldn't help smiling back.

"The angel really is beautiful though. I just can't believe you found it. It means so much to me." She pulled back sniffling, but the way the lights danced in her eyes showed a deep joy that Mikey appreciated and found beautiful. If he could do anything to make her smile, then he'd do it.

"It does look really pretty," he cheerfully agreed, his hand lowering itself down from her back and onto her hand. He squeezed her fingers together before his hand retreated away to rest on his knees as they both stared at the tree and admired the elegance of it all. At that moment, they weren't a human and a turtle staring at a fake tree in the sewers, but just two people basking in the glowing miracle of Christmas. They were two close friends enjoying each other's company in the comfort of their home.

Noelle smiled as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to sleep from the fatigue of her sickness, her head relaxing against Mikey's shoulder. The teen boy glanced down and saw her sleeping, her breath gentle and calm against his skin. His lips curled up and he carefully lifted her off the floor so he could take her to her room, his eyes barely leaving her slumbering expression for even a second. The lights glowed off her skin and hair, giving her an angelic appearance that he was unable to look away from.

As he laid her on the bed and tucked her in, he felt his heart pounding beneath his plastron. Even through the dark he could see her sleeping form, and as he just analyzed her features he became aware of a warm feeling blossoming around him. The feeling didn't clearly have a name, at least not yet, but he knew that it meant Noelle was the most precious person to him. He loved his brothers, April and even Casey a lot, but the emotions and feelings he had for them were much different than what he held for Noelle. Her smile made him smile, and for some strange reason he just wanted to give her a really, really long hug. She was not only beautiful, but really nice too, and that made him want to protect her even more.

He swallowed nervously as an idea suddenly entered his mind. He nervously reached into his belt and pulled the mistletoe out so he could hold it above their heads, and with his cheeks burning, he closed his eyes and kissed her on her forehead, her skin smooth beneath his lips. He pulled back after a few seconds and placed his fingers over his lips as they tingled from their contact with her, and he knew in that moment, without a doubt, that he had feelings for his best friend.

**[][][]**

Noelle felt refreshed when she woke up. She was still embarrassed over crying the previous night, but for some odd reason she was also really happy. She smiled as she dressed herself and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, feeling like nothing could really bring her down. With light steps she wandered down the hallway and beamed at all the Christmas decorations, her mood somehow brightening even further.

"Ah, good morning my child," Splinter greeted as he was about to enter the dojo. "How do you feel?"

"I actually feel pretty well, Sensei," Noelle honestly responded with a smile. "I guess I just needed some rest."

"Perhaps, but you should wait until at least tomorrow before you go back to the surface. I am certain the cold weather played a part in your illness. If you would like though, you may join me for meditation later."

Noelle hadn't been meditating as often as when she'd first started, and it sounded rather calming, so she nodded and promised to meet him later. She went to the kitchen and saw only Raph and Leo sitting at the table while Mikey hummed as he made them breakfast. Raph grinned and nodded at her.

"Well, well, look who's finally up."

"Who?" Mikey asked prior to turning around with a slice of toast in his mouth. His eyes widened when he saw his best friend standing at the table and immediately rushed over to pull her into a hug, the piece of toast falling from between his lips. She giggled as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around. "Yay! You're awake!"

"I am!" When he set her back down they exchanged smiles. Mikey thought of when he'd kissed her forehead and turned red, while Noelle remembered how he'd spun her around the night the snow fell and blushed as well. "So, uh, want some breakfast?"

"Oh, um, sure." She seated herself next to Raph and just stared at the table, her cheeks pink and eyes held in some sort of daze she wasn't aware of. Raph looked between Noelle and Raph and then glanced at Leo, who mirrored the same exact queasy look. Both brothers remained silent, but it was clear that they shared identical thoughts.

_This was way worse than Donnie and April._

**[][][]**

The lair was silent except for the gentle breathing emitted from Splinter and his blonde pupil. The brothers had left about a half hour ago, so Noelle took the opportunity to join her Sensei in meditation. With her mind cleared and body relaxed, she felt fresh and far better than she'd felt in days. It was almost as if all the sickness had left her body along with all the negative thoughts that occasionally plagued her mind, most of them the same ones that brought self-doubt and fear of not being able to reach her mom in time. She was unaware that Splinter had opened his eyes and was watching her relaxed form with interest, proud of how far she'd come with her training and just life in general.

"How different do you feel now than when you first started your lessons?"He asked, prompting the girl to lift her lids and focus on her teacher.

"I feel more confident, I think," she replied after contemplating her thoughts for a moment. "I feel happier too."

"I can tell. You have come a long way since my sons first brought you here. You are no longer a scared girl, but a brave young woman. I could not ask for a better person to be Michelangelo's friend."

The way he spoke brought a deep sense of pride to Noelle. He just sounded so fatherly and appreciative that she couldn't help smiling. "Thank you Sensei. Mikey has really helped me out. I don't know what I'd do without him." She felt herself growing warm as she admitted the thought.

"I know, my child. Our session is finished. You may go."

"Hai Sensei." Noelle stood up and bowed before she walked out of the dojo, leaving behind a contemplative Splinter as he considered her and Mikey's friendship. He nearly asked her what her feelings toward his youngest son were, but decided against it. His children would simply need to find their own way, just like he had to.

Splinter closed his eyes, and allowed himself to drift back into memories of when he was younger and had first laid eyes on his beloved Tang Shen.

**[][][]**

Noelle strolled to her bedroom, steps light and airy as she swayed her body gently to silent music. She wasn't sure if it was because of the meditation or the upcoming holiday, but her spirits felt high and she had the urge to paint, though what she'd make she wasn't sure of. Sometimes that happened, where she wanted to be creative but had no idea what she'd create. Sometimes it was important for her to just fall back and allow her creative mind to take over.

**[Gothic Storm-Whisper of Hope]**

She entered her room and closed the door behind her softly, her hands pressed against the wood as she pushed her back off of it and advanced towards her pile of art supplies next to the dresser. She grabbed a paint set and squeezed the tubes with the desired colors out onto her art palette before she reached for her iPod and switched it on. With paintbrush in hand she stood in front of the blank canvas, her eyes scouring the surface while her fingertip tingled with the desire to create. She closed her eyes and allowed the music to envelop her.

For but a moment she remained blind before her eye lids flew open and her paintbrush dipped into a small glob of green. The bristles flew across the board in a circular motion. She added in some yellow and mixed the two together before adding the new color to her canvas. She moved faster, the brush smearing itself in various colors and lathering the board. Her eyes closed as the paint flew. The music engulfed her senses as she spun, dipped the brush in orange and swirled before flicking the droplets off, remain paint splotches land on her wrist and cheek. She continued her twirl, switching back and forth between the canvas and palette. Dipping, spinning, painting; all lost in the music as passion and creativity took over. The desire was so personal and much stronger than any other time before as she brought her creation to life. She barely took in what she was painting, only allowed herself to remain in the trance and bask in the strength of passion. Her hair whipped around. Another spin. Dip. More green for the surroundings. Faster. Swipe across the canvas. Mix the colors. Smear. Spin. It was a dance of fluid movement and twirls, from one color to the other. All in time with the music.

And then, everything stopped.

Her eyes opened and her senses returned, leaving her stunned and confused with reddened cheeks as she stared into the bright baby blue eyes of Mikey. Her lips parted in surprise and wonder as she marveled at the painting of her best friend standing in a forest, smiling and looking like he was about to burst out of the canvas at any moment to pull her into one of her usual hugs. He just looked so alive and carefree that for a moment she was frightened that he would start moving at any moment and ask why she was watching him.

**[+]**

She set the palette and paint brush down on the dresser slowly, her heart rapidly pounding in her chest while her face felt like it was on fire. She'd never experienced something so personal while painting before, and the fact that it was Mikey just jumbled her thoughts even more. Her fingers shook as she hesitantly reached forward and rested the tips against the canvas, her body overwhelmed with emotion as she realized that everything leading up to this moment was a giant indication of what she really felt, or what she thought she felt anyways.

April watched her friend's inner battle with herself from the door way, her freckled dimples glowing in excitement. The red head was easily able to tell that Noelle and Mikey liked each other, and this only confirmed it. She remained quiet and tried to keep her glee under control though; this was something the two of them needed to figure out, and she'd only interfere and provide an opinion if she was asked to.

April gently rapped her knuckles against the side of the door frame, catching the blonde off-guard with a startled squeak before she stood right in front of the painting. The redhead laughed and shook her head prior to walking into the room. "Relax, I won't tell anybody. It's seriously beautiful though. I think he'd love it."

"I'm a little scared," Noelle admitted, her shoulders slumping in defeat and failing to hide the picture. "I always feel weird around him, but not in a bad way. I've never felt like this before and I honestly don't know what to do."

"_Didn't expect to give advice so quickly_," April thought to herself in amusement. "Just do what comes naturally. Be yourself. It's okay to have a crush on somebody, and Mikey is pretty awesome."

"I have a crush on Mikey," the artistic teen practically whispered with wide eyes. She'd never had a crush on anybody before, and to say it out loud just made the whole thing more real and nerve-wrecking. "Do I?"

"Well, that's just my guess. I think this is something you'll eventually get an answer to on your own. Just continue hanging out with Mikey and you'll find out soon enough."

"O-okay." Noelle's face was bright red as she carefully turned the easel around and hid it in a corner. She supposed that her friend was right, and that whatever was meant to happen would happen. She couldn't help feeling a little happy as she thought about Mikey and how she might like him. He always went out of his way to make her happy, and he succeeded every single time. She trusted him with her life, but if it came down to it, could she willingly put her heart into his hands? She didn't know if she was ready for that or not. As gazed up at the painting though and saw his face smiling down at her, she felt warmth blossoming in her chest.

Yes, she could trust him with her heart.

"Casey is here too. We were going to see if you wanted to watch a movie with us. You up for it?" April asked. "We brought some pizza over too if you feel like you can eat it."

Noelle looked at her friend, and a smile spread across her face. Four months ago she'd been sitting in her room all alone, wishing for friends and to be accepted by others. Now, she was being invited to watch a movie by her two human friends while her heart fluttered for her non human one. Life had changed drastically, and the part concerning her parents had hurt, she couldn't help but be grateful for the opportunity she'd been given for her new life. She beamed at the picture once more and followed her friend out of the room.

"Okay, I'm coming."


	22. Promising

_**Thanks everybody for being so patient and being concerned enough to send me a message asking if was okay. I love you guys and how supportive you are. I hope you're ready, because the next couple chapters are going to be intense! **_

_**Promising**_

The first night Noelle was allowed to go back up to the surface after being ill was a snowy one. She was partnered with April and Leo to go to the China town district, where they positioned themselves on top of the Fortune Cookie factory. There was just something about winter and snow that brought a sense of serenity to the normally loud and bustling city. The blonde closed her eyes and basked in the tranquility of the night air while April texted Casey on her phone and Leo kept watch over one of the front ledges. The late evening was calm, with the pitch black sky concealed by a scattering of multiple stars that glowed like diamonds in the ocean. It was a beautiful and calming sight that had Noelle at ease with a hope that she wouldn't have to pull out her Jitte out for combat.

So far, the trio had been at their post for about an hour without any disturbances except for the rude honking of an irate taxi driver or the random bouts of laughter from small groups of people promenading throughout the streets for some late-night shopping or meals. Leo remained alert and ready, his narrowed as he observed everything that moved.

"Jones says there's nothing exciting on his and Raph's end either," April announced as she put her phone away and rubbed her mitten-covered hands together. Little white puffs of air floated out of her mouth as she spoke. "This is probably the slowest night we've had in a while."

"Don't let your guard down," Leo ordered without taking his gaze off the street. "You never know what will happen. Always be prepared."

"Whatever you say, Captain." The redhead did a mock salute before she walked over to Noelle's side. "So do you have any ideas what to get everybody for Christmas yet? I've gotten some of my shopping done, but the only people that covers so far is you, Mikey, my aunt, and Casey. Wanna head to the store with me tomorrow or something?"

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything," Noelle instantly stated but with a shy smile on her face. "That was really nice of you though. Thank you. I'd love to go shopping tomorrow. I should probably figure out what to buy first, though."

"It's okay for friends to buy each other stuff," April laughed, though she knew it was just her timid friend being unused to such a thing. "As for the shopping, sometimes it's fun to just go out and impulse buy. Unless the boys gave you a list, anything is fair game. I'll even help you out since I've known them longer."

"Alright, thank you."

"I hate to interrupt such a nice conversation, but we've got a Kraang wandering down the alley."

The two girls rushed over to Leo's side just in time to see one of the Kraang robots suspiciously looking around as it headed towards a seemingly abandoned building. Usually the Kraang bots traveled together in small groups, so it was strange to see one by itself. Leo pulled out his swords and nodded his head at their enemy while mouthing the words "_be quiet_". He snuck ahead, the girls following silently after him with their own weapons out. Noelle nervously gripped her Jitte, still not used to combat and the idea of attacking somebody. She wasn't sure if she'd ever get used to such a thing, but used to it or not, she didn't have a choice. She just hoped that maybe this Kraang would lead them to her mother and that the wild goose chase would stop.

The robot entered in the building while the three teens stayed hidden in the shadows, waiting until the door started to shut before Leo rushed forward and blocked it from closing with the tip of his blade. He placed a finger over his lips and propped the door open, revealing a warehouse of some sort that had rows upon rows of shelves lined with various box sizes. The overhead lights were dim but provided enough illumination for the three of them to navigate around. The Kraang bot was nowhere to be seen.

"I've got a bad feeling about this place," April muttered as she peered into a box and discovered several human Kraang heads, including a few of Mrs. Campbell. "I'm going to text Donnie and tell him where we're at."

"I don't think we really need them, but if you're going to do it then be quiet."

"Mikey was right. You really do say that a lot," the redhead irritably whispered as she texted the genius brother. Noelle remained mute but agreed with April, not about Leo continually ordering them to be silent when he didn't need to, but about contacting for backup. If there was a Kraang around then there was bound to be more hiding nearby, and she definitely didn't have the confidence that the three of them would be fine on their own.

All of them froze and ducked when a creaking sound was suddenly heard nearby. Noelle peeked over one of the shelves and saw five Kraang bots emerging out of a secret panel in one of the walls. The metal covering slid back into place as the alien creatures stood in a row with their guns drawn out like they were guarding something important. The blonde eyed their weapons nervously and tightened the grip on her own, hoping that she wouldn't have to use it.

**[][][]**

Dim lighting lit the wide corridor as Razhar ambled down the hallway with irritated growling while he lugged a tray of food. For the past few weeks, he and other members of Shredder's lackeys had taken turns bringing meals to the imprisoned Karai. Nearly every time she had tried some sort of escape attempt that left the henchmen in a sour mood as they rubbed bruised limbs from her assaults. She didn't give up in trying to escape her room, and was positively relentless when it came to fighting for her freedom. Shredder had merely called his followers weak for allowing a young girl to walk all over them, but he had promised that if the fighting continued he would deal with her himself.

Razhar only hoped that the punishment came soon, otherwise he'd be forced to take matters into his own unforgiving claws.

The lanky dog knocked on the door once before he unlocked it, permitting himself passage into the chamber. A flickering candle was lit in the corner on Karai's desk, spewing shadows on her brick wall. Her bed was neatly made, and a piece of unrolled parchment lay on top of the tucked in sheets. Setting the tray on her desk, Razhar growled and picked the paper up, holding it near the candlelight so he could read the skillfully curved words blotted down in ink.

_The food you bring me is vile, so I hope you enjoy eating it instead tonight._

_Karai_

The door suddenly slammed shut, trapping the canine in the darkened room as all light from the hallway vanished. When he heard the lock click, he bounded to the door and tried to open it, only to find out that he was stuck in the cell until somebody came along to help him.

"Karai! You little brat! Unlock this door at once!" Razhar barked as he clawed at the wood and roared in frustration.

"No thanks. Be a good dog and enjoy your stay!" He heard her footsteps fade away with clever laughter as she ran off, forcing him to howl as loudly as he could in hopes that somebody heard him. The Kunoichi bolted from the noise while staying close to the shadows, hope blossoming in her chest as she realized she actually just might escape this time. She hovered near the walls when she heard the sound of Foot Soldiers running down to aid the mutant hound, then pushed her legs to run as fast as she could towards the doors. It was almost ridiculous how easy it all was, and when she finally reached the outdoors and took in a gasp of the frigid air, she swore she was dreaming. Without wasting a precious moment she ran up to the nearest building and began pulling herself up until she reached the roof. She didn't look back as she took off, so she didn't notice the Shredder watching her from the shadows of the door way. He tightened his fingers into a clenched fist and slammed the door shut to banish the world from view.

"Shall we go after her?" Fish Face asked from his master's side, more than eager to do the villainous man's bidding.

"No. Get me Kraang." Shredder's scarred eyes narrowed beneath his helmet. "I have a deal to strike."

**[][][]**

Ten minutes had passed by since the Kraang bots appeared, and so far the only terrible thing going on was listening to their repetitive and drawling way of speaking. The three teens hiding behind the shelves had waited to hear if there was useful information, but so far it had been pointless droning of the Kraang complimenting each other's appearance nonstop. Noelle could see Leo getting restless by the way his foot rapidly tapped against the concrete floor, and was about ready to suggest that they maybe sneak out when somebody landed right in front, forcing her to jump up and nearly cry out in surprise. She calmed down when she saw it was only Mikey, who offered her a smirk before he lowered himself to the ground next to Raph, Casey and Donnie.

"You guys couldn't have taken these losers on by yourselves?" Raph grumbled out, disbelieving that Leo hadn't just taken down the five robots. It was something that could have been done with ease, and the red-masked terrapin hated having his time wasted to help out his big brother, who was more than capable of defeating the lousy Kraang by himself.

"We're going to bust in there and see if we can find information on Noelle's mom," Leo hissed out with a glare. "If I'd just defeated these guys then there might be an alert that went off to send the rest of them out here. You really think I need all seven of us to take down the five of them?"

"Coulda fooled me!"

"Are we doing this or not?" Donnie interrupted with a frown on his face. "We don't have all night for you two to argue."

"Yeah, what D said!" Mikey cockily agreed before he cheekily waved when all three of his brothers shot him a dirty look."What?"

"Goongala!" Casey burst out of his hiding spot with a bat raised over his head as he charged towards the now defensive robots and swung the weapon into the side of one of their heads. Sparks flew out of the alien's temporary body as it fell limply to the ground in front of the brothers and girls, earning a shrug from Raph as he grinned and bolted forward to help his friend out.

"Well, I guess that's one way to make an entrance," Leo stated as he ran ahead. "Let those two handle the Kraang; the rest of us will check the inside to see what we can find. Noelle, stay near somebody at all times."

"O-Okay!" the blonde confirmed, the Jitte clutched in her hands as she patiently waited for Donnie to solve the door's code. She stood next to Mikey, where she felt the safest, and took deep breaths. The fights they'd been in before hadn't been nearly as overwhelming as the one they were currently about to engage in. She was used to the scarce numbers of the Purple Dragons, but if they were going to go into combat against a vast team of Kraang then she was pretty anxious. Her training was going well; she could block decently, and her offense had increased significantly, but she still didn't feel ready. What if she let everybody down or just got in the way? What if her mom really was inside and she failed to rescue her? What if she tripped and fell or set off an alarm? What if-

"You'll be awesome. Just relax, I'm with you," Mikey encouraged her with a gentle pat on her head. "We've got this, okay? Besides, maybe we can come up with some super sweet combo move that's got this killer name, and then everybody will be afraid of us! We can destroy all the Kraang! Bwahahaha!" He beamed when he saw his friend smile, happy to at least ease some of her nerves while fighting took place in the background. There was still a nervous shift in her eyes from inwardly disputing with herself, as this was the moment where they could find Savannah, but she at least had the sense to keep calm during the whole thing.

There was a sudden click and the door slid up. "Okay, we're in," Donnie announced before he and Leo took charge. Casey and Raph finished off the last Kraang before they cantered in with April, leaving Noelle and Mikey to take up the rear. The tunnel was murkily lit by circular lights attached at the top of the wall near the ceiling, and the interior was rather cold, prompting the blonde to shudder as she attempted to keep up with her team mates. She absolutely refused to let them down, and she hoped that maybe she could prove to herself that really could handle fighting and overcoming their enemies. Maybe a few months ago she would've hid and felt embarrassed, but she'd come so far since then; she couldn't give up now.

They came across a round room with purple streaks lighting up the ceilings, and what appeared to be a data base of some sort in the middle. Donnie ran forward and began hacking into the system, only for a gun shot to land right next to his arm. He yelped in surprise and turned around to see at least ten more Kraang surrounding the group, their guns loaded and pointed at their targets. Noelle sharply inhaled in both fear and alarm as one of the weapons pointed straight at her chest, her insides transformed into a quivering mess as death stared her right in the face.

"We'll be fine," Mikey whispered to her when he noticed how pale her face had turned. He squeezed her arm. "I promise we'll be okay."

"The ones known as the turtles will remain what is known as silent," one of the robots declared as it stepped forward and pushed its gun out even more. "Or Kraang will do that which is called shooting."

The group remained quiet, but all eyes landed on their leader for some confirmation that he had a plan of some sort. Not even Casey was foolish enough to just start attacking when he and his friends were at a disadvantage, though the way his grip tightened on the handle of his bat showed that he was more than ready to get a few hits in. Raph also had his Sais up and ready for action, his foot tapping on the ground as he eagerly awaited for a signal of some sort.

"Go!" Leo suddenly called out as he threw a bomb on the ground that released thick clouds of purple smoke, causing the Kraang to become disoriented as they frantically looked around to spot one of the ninjas. Noelle tried not to breath the smoke in as she pushed herself forward like everybody else and aimed at the first pair of robot legs she came across. She put all her strength into swinging her Jitte against the metallic ankles and knocking the Kraang backwards onto the ground. Raph jumped up from behind her and stabbed his weapons into the Kraang's eyes, causing the bot to short circuit before it became immobile with sparks flying off its neck.

"Good job," Raph complimented the blonde with a smirk before he turned around to assist Mikey. Like Noelle, the freckled terrapin had also used his weapons around the robot's feet, but he'd managed to do it to two at once with each of his Nunchucks wrapping tightly around the knee area of both unsuspecting Kraang droids. Their heads bonked together, and their chests were sliced into by the red-masked brother.

"Booyakasha!" Mikey whooped out victoriously when he noticed all the other robots had also been taken down. Ten bodies with empty stomachs lay immobile on the ground in one perfect circle, their pink operators hastily crawling down a pathway on the opposite side of the room. The group took off after the brain-like creatures, armed and prepared for anything else to cross their path. Noelle secretly hoped that they didn't come across something else for the sake of not having to fight again, but she was proud of herself for not hesitating to attack even though her stomach had felt twisted up in nerves.

All seven teenagers came across a room at the end of the hallway that was empty except for what appeared to be a giant computer screen with a control panel of buttons positioned beneath it. Donnie had been left behind in the other room to see if there was any information on the data base, so Leo was the one who went up to the monitor and began pressing buttons on the panel to see if he could uncover anything. There wasn't any sight of the aliens.

"Casey and Raph, you two go make sure Donnie is doing okay in case there are reinforcements," Leo ordered without pausing his movements. "I'll try and figure this thing out until he's done."

**[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out of the Shadows-Become Human]**

"Sure thing Fearless," Raph established before he and Casey exited the room to go aid the genius brother. Noelle watched Leo play around with the buttons while swatting Mikey's fingers away from the panel. As the youngest turtle pouted over not being to press anything, the monitor suddenly lit up. It was static at first, but then the chaos fizzled away into a clear picture of a woman with shoulder-length blonde hair sitting in what appeared to be a cell wearing only a white gown that nearly blended into her ivory skin. A Kraang droid without the human skin stood in front of the woman with a gun drawn out, forcing her to lift her head up and look at him.

Noelle's eyes narrowed in concentration as she peered closely at the screen before they widened in realization. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears filled her eyes, relief filling her so immensely that she thought she'd fall to the ground. Mikey noticed her reaction and eyed her with concern, one of his hands reaching out to clasp onto her shoulder in a gentle grip.

"Noelle?"

"That-that's my mom," she breathed out, causing the others to stare at her in bewilderment before they returned their attention back to the screen.

"I'm not helping you," Savannah declared in a weak but firm tone. "I told you before that I won't. Nothing's changed."

"The one known as Savannah will do what is known as help Kraang take over that which is Earth, or there will be what is known as consequences," the droid warned before marching away, leaving the blonde woman to slump back against the wall and tuck her head away.

"I'm sorry Noelle."

The screen suddenly went back to static before fading away completely. Noelle choked back a sob and leaned over to press her fingers against the glass. "I'm sorry too mom."

"At least we know she is alive," April comforted her friend before she pulled her into a hug. "It's alright; we'll find her." The others stared at the blonde teen with sympathetic looks on their faces until Donnie ran into the room followed by Casey and Raph. The lanky terrapin waved a small flash drive around proudly.

"I've got the information. Let's hurry up and get back to the lair so I can try and translate it." He stared at April questioningly when he saw Noelle, but the redhead just shook her head and mouthed "I'll tell you later" to him. When Noelle pulled away, she scrubbed away her tears and stared at the blank monitor screen, her hand squeezing April's in appreciation.

"We are going to get her back, right?"

"Of course we are!" Leo confidently responded. He stood up with a smile and nodded at the blonde teen. "She's strong like you. She'll make it until we find her. I promise."

Noelle held her fingers up to her heart, the tips curling inwardly to make a fist against her chest as she stared at the screen that was devoid of any remnants of activity. She concentrated on the machine like she could somehow will her mother's image to return, her eyes closing when she realized that she couldn't.

"Everything is gonna be okay," Mikey reassured her with a gentle squeeze of her wrist, his blue eyes scanning her face in concern. He smiled in relief when she opened her eyes and offered him a tiny smile of her own, her cheeks pink as his fingers rubbed against her soft skin. He felt his heart pound as her jade pupils twinkled and she timidly nodded before she began walking away, and he realized that he definitely needed to talk to Donnie again. He felt sick more than ever now, but he knew that whatever was going on with him wasn't just "puberty".

**[+]**

**[][][]**

When the group returned back to the lair, Noelle silently went to her room, only announcing that she wanted some time to draw. It was understandable since that was how she usually got her feelings out, and after the whole thing with her mom it was a wonder she didn't break out the paint as soon as she walked past the turnstile. Splinter greeted his students from the front of the dojo, noticing right away that his newest pupil had a far-off look in her eyes but he didn't draw attention to it. He waited until she had walked to her room before he brought up the mission.

"Have you discovered anything?"

"I think so," Donnie responded as he waved the drive around. "I downloaded something that I'm gonna translate. Once I find something I'll call everybody to the lab." As he turned on his heel to head to the lab, he was met face-to-face by his younger brother, whose lips had stubbornly twisted up into a pout while his pupils enlarged into their adorable, pleading size.

"D, can I come with you? I gotta talk to somebody," Mikey asked with his voice a tone higher than usual. He needed to ask the genius terrapin some questions, and there was no way Donnie would allow the freckled turtle into his lab without good reason, especially when a project was being worked on.

Donnie studied his brother's face suspiciously before he sighed in defeat and rubbed the side of his face. "Fine, but stay out of the way. You mess with one thing you're gone, understand?"

"Duh, of course bro! I'm not stupid or something." Mikey laughed off his brother's concern as he walked towards the lab, Donnie following behind as he shook his head and let out a sigh of regret.

Once the door was shut Donnie took his seat at the desk and plugged his drive into the monitor of his computer, tongue stuck out of the side of his mouth in concentration. Mikey sat on the edge of the desk and impatiently swung his feet around while he waited for his older brother to do what he needed to do.

"Now, what is so important that you had to talk to me and nobody else about?" the purple-banded turtle asked once he was satisfied that the translating process had finally begun. Mikey wasn't the type of person who just wanted to talk alone with people, so he couldn't even imagine what his little brother was so determined to speak to him about.

"I think my puberty is way worse now."

"How so?"

"Because I'm being creepy like you now!" Mikey ignored Donnie's glare as he pulled out his phone and displayed the picture of him and Noelle. "I keep looking at her face, and the other night, when she was, like, sick, I kissed her on the head and she was sleeping! Like, that's super creepy! What if she hates me for that? Why do I always wonder if she's awake when I wake up, or what pizza she might like, or-"

"Woah, woah, slow down," Donnie interrupted. He was a bit irritated that his younger brother viewed him as a creepy, but he was fascinated with everything he was hearing, and in a way, it made him feel good to know he wasn't the only one who had thoughts and feelings like that. He studied his brother's distraught face, trying to figure out a way to break the answer down to avoid confusion. "So you think about her a lot, right? That's okay. It's a normal part of puberty."

"But I thought Leo and Raph were going through this too? What's normal about it?" Mikey turned his phone around and focused on the picture. "Dude, I can't stop thinking about her. What wrong with me?"

It was on that note that Donnie decided that he needed to step into his role of being a big brother, and guide his younger one towards the right answer. "I promise there's nothing wrong with you. What you're experiencing is a different part of puberty that most people go through at some point in their life. What you have is a large crush on Noelle."

It took Mikey a moment to process the information for a large smile spread widely across his face. "Oh! You mean, I like like her?"

"Yup, you sure do."

"Wow." The freckled turtle acted like he had just come across some fantastic treasure with the way he beamed at the blonde's picture, his thumb caressing her face while his heart hammered away happily in his chest. It just made so much sense now, and to think that'd he fallen for somebody as wonderful as his best friend made him feel incredibly lucky until a look of horror crossed his eyes. "Wait, what do I do now?!"

"Well, uh, you can always tell her?"

"You mean the way you haven't told April?"

"Uh-"A sudden beep cut through the air much to Donnie's fortune, as he really didn't have an answer to tell Mikey. He couldn't just tell his little brother how afraid of being turned down he was since that wouldn't help the situation at all. He sighed in relief and glanced at his screen to see what the results were, only to sharply suck in his breath before he broke into a grin.

"What is it D?"

Donnie pointed at a very detailed layout on his monitor with a proud smirk, glad that his technological uses could once again be advantageous for the group. "It's time to call everybody in. I think we've found the hideout."


	23. Winter's Illusion

_**Thank you all so much for your patience with me! I'm going from two jobs to one so I'll have far more time to write from now on. I promise you this story will be finished; I want to see it completed. You're all awesome and it makes me so happy that this story has gotten so much love. Please enjoy the new chapter. **_

**Winter's Illusion**

Noelle lay on her bed with her eyes glued to the ceiling while an open sketchbook sprawled out near her left thigh. She tightened and loosened her grip on her pencil, the wood growing slick with sweat from the heat of her fingers. What had started as a sketch session to be rid of her thoughts had metamorphosed into just lying down and thinking about life in general, which was something she had never brought herself to do until she met Mikey and the others. She had always escaped life through her paintings and drawings, but now that didn't seem to be enough, and it frightened her. The creativity that once lingered at her finger tips held itself back, leaving her feeling lifeless as she rested her head on her pillow and contemplated the thoughts that mercilessly plagued her mind.

She couldn't stop seeing her mother's face. Savannah hadn't looked well before her kidnapping, what with her working nonstop and barely taking care of herself, but she'd nearly seemed unrecognizable in the footage. The woman had appeared slimmer, as if she wasn't eating enough, and her hair had grown and knotted itself into a disheveled mess. Noelle hadn't been able to see her mother's eyes clearly, but she was certain there were unhealthy shades of purple from lack of sleep and stress. It broke the teen's heart to know that her mom wasn't being taken care of, but it was something she should have expected. From what she gathered, the Kraang were heartless aliens that only cared about ruining planets so their kind could take over it, so of course a simple woman who wrote books for a living wouldn't be treated with much respect. The only hope Noelle had was her mom being kept alive to somehow assist with the foreign creatures' hostile plans in overcoming Earth, but that thought alone was enough to make her feel sick.

Noelle shot straight up and placed a hand over her chest to feel her heart as it raced beneath her palm, her brows furrowing together while her breathing grew shallow. She closed her eyes and counted to eight as she sucked in her breath, then counted to five while holding her breath before she slowly let out the oxygen. She repeated the process a couple more times until she felt her heart slowing down and the queasy feeling in her stomach disappearing. Her eyes opened and she shakily stood up, forcing her legs to move forward until she was standing right in front of her painting of Mikey. Without thinking, she lifted a hand up and gently trailed her fingers over the canvas, as if she could will him to appear out of the painting and stand before her.

She was considering giving him the painting as a Christmas present, knowing that he would probably like it and really appreciate how she'd captured his image. He may not evaluate the present with an artistic mind like Noelle would, but she knew he'd adore it nonetheless. A part of her wanted to keep the picture to herself because just looking at it made her feel stronger, as if she could do anything she put her mind to. She remember how Mikey had told her that one day she'd have her moment, and she believed him, even thought she couldn't imagine when a moment like that would even happen.

A knock on the door startled her, forcing her to step away from the picture in case it was Mikey or one of the other boys. Fortunately for her, April was the one who entered.

"Hey, Donnie said...you okay? Your face is beet red."

"Oh, I-I'm fine," Noelle stammered, embarrassed at having nearly been caught staring at the picture. She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath so she didn't seem as nervous. "I was just really deep into thinking about my next art piece and was startled, is all."

The red head smirked as she sensed the blonde's bashful nature, knowing exactly why her friend was acting so flustered. She simply nodded though to ease some of Noelle's worrying. "So Donnie said that he managed to decode the Kraang's data and wants everybody to go to his lab. You coming?"

"Of course." Noelle straightened up and pushed her disconcertment to the side, wondering what the intelligent terrapin had discovered. Anxious to find out, she briskly walked to the other teen's side, and together the two girls headed out of the room and down the hallway to Donnie's lab. Everybody else, including Master Splinter, were already inside and waiting to see what Donnie had to show. When Mikey saw Noelle enter, his face lit up and he waved at her. Noelle returned the gesture with a smile of her own before he turned around to focus on Donnie, suddenly feeling rather giddy.

"So I translated all the data, and I discovered something really useful." Donnie pulled out a broad piece of paper and taped it to his white board, his lanky form blocking anybody from fully viewing the parchment until he stepped to the side and revealed the layout of a building drawn precisely with a thick black marker. He tapped the image with one of his fingers and smiled with pride at his modest-sized audience. "I believe this is where they are keeping Noelle's mom."

Noelle couldn't believe what she was seeing. Before them was the building that held her mother as a hostage, and it was one that she'd grown to know very well over the past three months. Her legs felt like they were going to give out beneath her as bile rose in her throat in disgust, her stomach churning unpleasantly when her eyes met Mikey's disbelieving gaze as he also processed the information he was given. When Donnie had announced that he'd discovered the building, the younger turtle had simply accepted the information and went on to grab the rest of his brothers without bothering to even see what the building was.

The complex Donnie revealed turned out to be none other than One Time Square, Mikey's secret place.

"That's so messed up!" Mikey exclaimed as he shot out of his chair and pointed at the drawn image. "That's my hidden spot! How could the Kraang take that from me?!"

Noelle hesitantly reached forward, her hand drawing back only once before gently landing on the back of Mikey's shell, unaware of the puzzled expression Leo and Raph shared. "I'm sorry Mikey. That's not fair to you."

"Or you," he responded as he turned around, looking like a kicked puppy. "That really is messed up, but we'll get your mom back. I promise."

Noelle smiled at his comforting words, though she felt disturbed as she thought of her and Mikey having a good time on the roof while her mom had been trapped inside. The sickening feeling only twisted around even more as she remembered the ball on top of the tower, and the event that would be shortly coming up.

"New Years Eve," April suddenly breathed out in horror. The others stared at her in wonderment. "I bet the Kraang are going to strike on New Years Eve. Think about it; everybody will be watching the ball drop, right? What if the Kraang take that opportunity to use all the screens to broadcast a message, and the ball is some sort of device that they've configured for brainwashing? I know it sound ridiculous, but it really would be the perfect time."

"April is right," Leo agreed. "If the Kraang were to strike from the hideout then it'll be on the day of the year where Time Square is the busiest. They'd be foolish not to."

Raph shrugged. "I don't know chief. Those guys aren't exactly the brightest."

"But they aren't somebody we shouldn't take seriously, and they've proved it many times now," Donnie added on.

By now the whole group was alarmed and anxious with what they'd discovered, especially Noelle. Time was running out for not only her mom but all of New York, including the rest of her family and friends. All of her training suddenly didn't feel like it was enough, like she should've pushed herself harder. The Kraang seemed terrifying and unstoppable, and the idea that her mom's life depended on her seemed like too much. She felt her chest tightening as air became scarce and dread prickled across her skin like needles. She took deep breaths to calm herself down, a hand laying across her stomach so she could feel the air flowing in and out of her. She knew she needed to be brave, not only for herself but for her mom too, so she couldn't just start freaking out now.

Her anxiety settled when she looked up and saw Mikey staring at her, his head nodding. "_We will get her back_," his eyes seemed to be saying, and the pit in her stomach settled down just a little bit.

"So we've got until New Years Eve to come up with a plan of rescue, which means we really need to work out on training," Leo determinedly stated as he took his place at the front of the group. "No more games. We've got apparently eleven days until the Kraang act, which really isn't that much time. I say we double-up on our training-"

"Are you serious?" Raph interrupted with a frown and arms crossed stubbornly over his chest. "By the time New Years Eve comes we won't even be able to move. We train enough as it is."

"Both of you are correct," Splinter spoke up as he emerged from the back of the room, his claws thoughtfully stroking his beard. He tapped his cane on the ground and eyed the group as if he was trying to read their thoughts just from their facial expressions. His eyes eventually rested on Noelle, who he was most concerned with. Of course, he worried about all his sons, but this wasn't the first time they'd saved the world. Even with all her training, Noelle was still just a fragile and scared human with much to learn, and that brought about some doubt on how she might act when the time to confront her mother's kidnappers arrived. He noticed her swallow nervously when she felt his eyes on her, so he decided to discuss future actions with her later to avoid unnecessary attention on her. "Do not overdo the training, but the challenge levels needs to be increased if you are to stand a chance against this threat. I will come up with a way to modify your daily rituals, but until then take this matter seriously and come up with a plan. Do not foolishly rush in."

"Hai Sensei." Everybody in the group except for Casey bowed their head until Splinter walked away before resuming their discussion.

"Let's just get some sleep and we'll start our increased training tomorrow," Leo suggested.

Everybody murmured or nodded in agreement before going off in their own separate ways. Noelle stood in her spot and studied the paper, unsure of what to even do. She realized that it had been a little while since she contacted her grandma, and it would only be fair to inform her that Savannah had been located so that maybe some of the worrying could be eased off the old woman's shoulders, but what if the hope was false? What if they went to rescue Savannah, but the kidnapped author was nowhere to be found, or worse? Noelle's fingers lightly clenched together, not out of anger, but mere frustration. It just wasn't fair for her grandma to constantly worry while Noelle had hope, but it would be so much more cruel if the hope given wasn't validated.

Mikey strode over to the blonde's side and stared at the building's drawing, his eyes tracing over his friend's face like he was trying to discern her thoughts. "This sucks, huh?" he finally spoke up, cutting into the tense atmosphere. He, Noelle and Donnie were the only ones left in the lab, and Donnie had already moved on to work on something.

Noelle sighed and turned towards the blue-eyed reptile. "I just really hope we can find my mom. I was thinking about telling my grandma that we located her, but if we're wrong then my grandma will just be even more sad. I don't want to give false hope."

"It's better than no hope though, right?"

"I'm not so sure." She looked at her friend with empathy. "I am sorry that your special place is just a Kraang hide out. It kind of feels gross, doesn't it?"

"Yeah..." Mikey's words trailed off before he smiled at her. "We had a good time at least. We've just gotta have more good times somewhere else. New York is pretty big so I'm sure we'll find another cool place."

Noelle returned the smile. "I suppose so." The air went silent, and her cheeks flushed when she realized that they were just looking at each other. She nervously tucked a strand behind her ear and cleared her throat. "I guess I'll just head to bed then. Sounds like tomorrow might be a little rough."

"Yeah, okay." The two looked around the room and avoided eye contact for a moment before Mikey held up his hand and weakly grinned at her. "High-three?"

She giggled and softly slapped her palm against his. "High-three." She turned to leave.

Remembering what Donnie had told him earlier about confessing his feelings, Mikey reached a hand out. "Wait!"

Noelle turned around, her heart pounding at the urgency at his voice. "Yes?"

Time seemed to freeze as the usually energetic and sociable turtle froze, his words feeling like they were stuck in his throat. He tried to think of things he loved to calm himself down, but only two images showed up in his head.

"You're my favorite slice of pizza!"

The blonde stared at him in confusion, unsure as to why her cheeks grew warm at such a nonsensical compliment. "What?"

Donnie turned away in his spot, bit his lip and tried not to snort with laughter. Mikey looked over for some sort of moral support from his older brother, and instead saw him facing the opposite direction and shaking with restraint to not chortle loudly. Usually the freckled teen had no problem saying something embarrassing, but for some reason he felt beyond stupid this time. "Uh, if you were a pizza flavor you'd be my favorite?" he squeaked out, unsure of what else to say. For one of the first times in his life, he was speechless.

Noelle didn't understand what he meant, but she felt flattered nonetheless, especially because she knew he absolutely adored pizza. "Th-thank you," she stammered out before she stared at the floor. "G-goodnight."

"Uh yeah, night night." He watched as she walked away, her head tilted as she seemingly contemplated his words. Once she left the room, Mikey stood there like a statue, imagining a big flame erupting from his face as he was sure it was on fire right now from humiliation. He let out a frustrated groan.

"Could've gone worse," Donnie sympathetically pointed out once he gained controlled of himself. He wished he could laugh at his brother's absurd confession, but he couldn't help but admire Mikey's attempt to at least try and say something, unlike him, who still couldn't find the courage to form a complete sentence of admiration around April. "You'll say it eventually."

Mikey lowered his head with an exaggerated sighed.

**[][][]**

April couldn't stand it anymore. She was tired of watching Noelle and Mikey dance around each other instead of full on confessing their feelings like people should do when they liked each other. Of course, that was looking a gift-horse in the mouth, but this wasn't about _her_, it was about her two friends. The red head wasn't the type of person to involve herself in other people's business, or the type to swoon and cry at a romance movie, but this felt more personal to her. She really cared about Mikey and Noelle, and she wanted them happy, but after overhearing Mikey's ridiculous confession, it was obvious that she might need to give them a little push.

She waited for Mikey outside of the lab, her foot tapping innocently on the ground while she watched Leo, Raph and Casey competitively compete on the pinball machine; she was amazed the thing hadn't broken yet with all the shaking and fist pounding that happened to it. Master Splinter had already returned back to the dojo, so she waited alone, secretly proud of Donatello for encouraging his younger brother. It wasn't long after she heard a boisterous exhale that the freckled turtle finally exited the lab, looking uncharacteristically defeated for somebody who was usually so energetic and cheerful.

"Hey Mikey!" April called out, catching the terrapin off guard for but a moment before he grinned at her.

"'Sup April?"

"I think we need to talk." She smiled at him to show it wasn't anything serious, but he looked confused nonetheless.

"Uh, sure?"

"Great! Let's go take a walk somewhere." April pulled on his arm as she dragged him towards the lair's entrance. "It won't take long. Promise."

He shrugged and nodded before he followed along after her. "Okay dokey."

"We'll be back guys!" April called out to the others, receiving distracted grunts in return from the occupied boys. She rolled her eyes as she heard them shouting at the machine about being unfair and heavy taunting from Raph and Leo.

The noise faded away as the two walked further and further down the tunnels until it was absolute silence. When they reached an open area, April sat on one of the ledges of the corridor's entrance and patted the spot next to her. Mikey sat himself down beside her and swung his legs out. "So what's up?"

The red head rested her hands on her knees and gazed out at the dim space spread before them, the only noise being the distant sound of water dripping off leaky pipes. "Mikey, have you ever liked somebody so much that you'd be willing to do anything for them?"

Mikey grinned as he thought of Noelle and how elated she'd been when they'd flown up to the Statue of Liberty. He remembered her smile and the way her eyes had lit up at the view, and he'd known at that time that he wanted to see her happy like that more often. "Of course!"

"Then don't you think it would make Noelle really happy if you told her how you felt?"

The turtle's kicking completely halted as he turned to face April with an astounded look on his face, both his mouth and eyes wide open in disbelief. "Woah! Dude, you got psychic powers or something!"

April raised a brow and waited for him to realize what he'd said.

"Oh. I forgot."

She playfully nudged him. "That's not how I know, silly. I can just tell you like her from how happy you act around her all the time. Noelle may not be able to see it yet, but I do, and I just really want to help you out because I think you two are good for each other."

He stared down at his toes and wiggled them around, his lips pulled up into a tight line. " I already tried telling her how I feel and I messed up. She probably thinks I'm a joke now."

"That's not true and you know it. When has she ever not taken you seriously?"

Mikey sighed in frustration. In the past, when he'd been pushed into corners or had no choice but to run away from a fight he'd always come back on top with his Nunchucks swinging around. This was a different fight though, and he was actually worried about how he'd possibly win this one. "I just...I really don't want to mess up, you know? She means a lot to me."

April smiled and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Then how about we come up with a plan together so you can win her over? What do you say?" She held out a fist and he looked at it before a grin broke out on his face and he bumped his knuckles against hers.

"Booya. Kasha."

**[][][]**

The days leading up to Christmas were a tiring blur for Noelle. True to Leo's word, training had increased significantly. Meditation was replaced by more sparring, which meant that by the end of the week she'd been partnered with and fought against all the turtles plus April. Fighting against Mikey had been really challenging for her, as he'd proven to be the fastest opponent she'd ever faced.

Splinter had challenged the group to find him in the sewers and take him on numerous times. It was both a fun but stressful exercise that tested teamwork, combat, speed, and perseverance. Noelle didn't even come close to touching him, but she'd come to discover that she no longer would just fall and feel like she'd lost; she'd instead get right back on her feet and try again. She'd come a long way, and although she was still worried about rescuing her mom she couldn't help but feel like they maybe, just maybe, they stood a chance.

April and Noelle had gone Christmas shopping on the twenty-first, which meant standing in long lines and trying not to get run over by last minute holiday shoppers. Regardless of all the chaos, the blonde enjoyed herself and even felt confident in the gifts she'd purchased. When the girls had taken a break for some hot chocolate, Noelle ended up telling the redhead about her childhood and the ice skating she'd done in Central Park with her grandma. In return, April spoke of a farmhouse her and her parents had gone to when she was younger to escape all the city stress. There had been snowball fights and early mornings filled with pancakes and chocolate milk.

The girls enjoyed themselves a little longer before the shopping continued, but it was obvious that they had grown closer to each other. If anybody could understand how lonely Christmas would be that year, it would be the two of them.

**[][][]**

When Christmas arrived, Noelle found herself waking up to the sound of Mikey's voice bellowing throughout the lair, announcing that it was time to open presents and celebrate the holiday. He personally knocked on her door until she sleepily granted him permission to enter.

"Time to wake up! It's Christmas!" the turtle cheerfully announced as he entered her dim room. "Come on girl!" He practically skipped to her bed and poked her head until she forced herself to sit up, strands of blond hair sticking up in multiple directions. Mikey couldn't help but find her sleepiness adorable. He held out a hand for her to take, which she appreciatively latched onto, and as he pulled her out of the room and down the hallway he basked in the warmth of her fingers, not letting go until just before they reached the den.

Donnie sat on the couch with a cup of coffee warming his hands as he sat next to a grumpy Raph while Leo sat on one of the bean bags and yawned. Donnie held up a cup for Noelle, made just the way she liked it, and she took it contently from his extended grasp.

"Merry Christmas Donnie," she thanked the lanky turtle with a warm smile.

"Hey, no problem. Merry Christmas."

"Can we just get this over with?" Raph huffed out with arms crossed over his platron. "It's too early for this."

"Where's your holiday spirit, yo?" Mikey asked in disbelief, unsure of how his older brother couldn't be excited over the idea of opening Christmas presents. Next to Mutation Day, Christmas was his favorite holiday. It wasn't just the presents that made the day awesome, but the fact that everybody gathered together to celebrate it. The young turtle loved his family, and the fact that friends would be around this year to celebrate just made things even better. He showed Noelle a soft and gentle smile, hoping she would notice just how happy it made him feel to know that she was there.

April and Casey both arrived around nine, bundled up with rosy cheeks and eyes glowing in excitement. Presents were just something wonderful to look forward to regardless of age, and Noelle felt a thrill she hadn't felt since she was a little girl.

Mikey took it upon himself to pass the presents out to everybody. Soon the air was full of the sound of paper ripping and little gasps of delight as gifts were opened. Splinter contently watched on, and was even surprised himself to find out that he had items to unwrap as well. He smiled in approval at his new tea set and calligraphy pens, both of which were presents from Noelle, April and Casey. The girls had also bought each of the turtles a sweater to match their corresponding mask colors, and in an extra large size to fit over their shells. Mikey wasted no time in slipping his on and giving both girls a hug.

Noelle and April also bought all the boys comic books, Donnie a scientific journal for his research, and Casey a new set of roller skates. Noelle received sketchbooks, pencils, and art books, while April was given a couple of yellow shirts and a few new ninja weapons for her to practice with in regards to her psychic ability and role in missions. Overall, the morning was pleasant and full of smiling faces.

**[][][]**

"Merry Christmas grandma!" Noelle sat on her bed with her back propped up by pillows and her presents spread out over the comforter. She couldn't keep the cheer from seeping into her voice as she gratefully admired her presents and pressed her phone against her ear.

"Merry Christmas hunny. Are we seeing you today?"

"Yes. I plan to stop over sometime in the afternoon if that's okay."

"Of course. We can't wait to see you here."

"Love you grandma. I'm going to call dad soon too, okay?"

"Alright, and please invite him over. Nobody should be alone right now." Sadness was evident in Sandra's voice. "Oh, I wish your mother was here."

Noelle's lower lip trembled but she refused to sound hopeless. She needed to be strong for her grandma. "Me too, but I know we'll get her back. Just hang in there, okay? I love you."

"I love you too. See you later sweetheart."

The blonde clicked her phone off and tilted her head back with a sigh, hoping that everything really would turn out alright. She looked over at the backwards canvas in the corner of her room and smiled, excited to give Mikey his present later. She fiddled with her fingers as she considered how to present it to him, a knock on the door disturbing her thoughts. Before she could even call out permission to enter, the person on her mind entered into the room with a smile on his face.

"Hey, wanna come with me somewhere? I've got a surprise for you and you've gotta check it out!"

"Where are we going?" she curiously asked. He seemed a little nervous but also really excited.

"You'll see! You've gotta put your coat on though, okay?" He practically bounced back like a hyper little kid as his eyes shifted over to her coat and then back to her. "This is going to be, like, super awesome!"

Unable to fight back a giggle, Noelle nodded and decided to do as he suggested. Clearly they were going outside somewhere, but where to she couldn't even guess. He never failed to surprise her though, so she decided to allow herself to feel eager as she slipped into her coat, zipped up, and followed him out of the room.

**[][][]**

Noelle ambled after Mikey into the underground labyrinth, a million questions colliding in her head as she wondered where he was taking her. She nearly crashed into his shell as he suddenly stopped in the middle of one of the tunnels and turned to face her. with a grin on his face.

"Okay, so where we're going is super cool, but we might get there faster if I carry you." He squatted down and nodded his head for her to hop. She was a little surprised at first, as it had been a while since he'd piggy-backed her anywhere, but he seemed really excited for where they were going and she didn't want to slow them down.

"Al-alright then," she agreed before she climbed onto his back and secured her arms around his neck. There was something different about this time compared to all the other times when he'd carried her. He turned to look at her, and there was a moment where they just silently exchanged glances before he quickly turned away and began to run through the corridors, her head resting on his shell as she realized just how safe she felt with him. Something had changed between them recently, and it was enough to make her heart pound.

It wasn't long before he set her down in front of a ladder where the cold above ground seeped to the world below. The iron bars were freezing to the touch, so much so that Noelle withdrew her hand away for but a moment as she attempted to climb up. Mikey had ascended up the ladder first, informing her that she must keep her eyes shut for the surprise, so she did. She tried to imagine what he had hidden for her with each little step she took, but couldn't really think of anything. She was very excited though, up to the point where her cheeks felt warm from blissful anticipation of what he could possibly have in store for her.

Soon enough, Noelle felt icy air on her face, followed by a pair of warm hands surrounding hers to help pull her up. She climbed as carefully as she could, something crunching beneath her feet when she was finally able to stand. She heard the sound of the manhole cover being pulled back over the hole, and then his hands were over her eyes, allowing her eyelids to flutter open for but a second before she closed them again.

"Ready?" She could hear the smile in his voice as he came to a stop, forcing her to halt.

She licked her cold lips and nodded, permitting him to step back and remove his hands.

**[How to Train Your Dragon-Forbidden Friendship]**

"Open!"

Her lids lifted to a scene that she did not expect, hands flying to cover her mouth as a smile spread across her face. A thick blanket was spread on the ground, with a pile of other blankets stacked neatly on top of it. In the middle were two thermoses and a little basket. A box was on the ground not too far off from the area, in front of a frozen river that motionlessly sat beneath a cobblestone bridge near a modest hill. The space was secluded by trees and located somewhere in the back of the park, far away from buildings and the public eye. Mikey jumped in front of her with his arms spread out and a triumphant grin on his face, pleased with the wide-eyed look Noelle was displaying at the surprise.

"Ta-dah! It's a little winter picnic! Awesome, right? We can chill out here for a little bit!"

Noelle was torn between laughing and crying. She was touched that he'd put so much thought and work into this little surprise for her that was rendered speechless. "Mikey, it's beautiful here," she at last breathed out, her heart leaping around happily within her chest. "This is wonderful! How did you find this place?"

He winked at her. "Let's just say we've got some awesome friends." He beamed at her and held out his hand. "Now, how about some sledding?"

**[][][]**

The sledding he spoke of involved her sitting on the back of his shell as he laid face down and pulled his limbs inside his body. He had reassured her continually that she would not hurt him, and that he'd have fun as well. His head still stuck out, so he was able to enjoy sliding down the slope as Noelle held onto his sides for dear life, crying out in absolute glee while they accelerated through the snow until both of them reached the bottom, breathless with laughter. She ended up rolling off of him and landing on her backside in the snow, her cheeks pink and eyes shining. Mikey looked at her and smiled, admiring how happy and pretty she looked as she laid in the snow and simpered joyfully at him.

He helped her to her feet as they continued laughing, both of them stumbling around before they managed to reach the top of the hill to repeat the process again. After sledding a few more times, Noelle was caught off guard by a snowball thrown at her back. Thankful for her coat to protect her from the coldness of the snow, she gradually turned around and saw Mikey innocently waving at her with a grin on his face. Caught in the spirit of the moment, she rolled up her own ball and hurled it at him, missing the brisk ninja completely as he dodged to the side with a laugh. The game carried on until both of them were breathless with laughter and shivering with red faces from the cold.

Mikey led her to the blanket, where they sat down and wrapped themselves up in sheets while he opened his thermos. She followed suit, pleased at the hot chocolate that warmed her throat and sent shivers up her spine from the sudden heat. They looked at each other and exchanged smiles, enjoying the peace and quiet of Central Park on Christmas.

The basket Mikey had brought contained chocolate chip cookies that April had helped him bake. Of course, he'd wanted to throw in the usual uncommon ingredients like pepperoni and cheese, but thankfully the red head had talked him out of it when she insisted that Noelle probably wouldn't like them as much as him. Fortunately, the blonde did enjoy the cookies that the freckled turtle gave her, not to mention that she absolutely adored the sketchbook and pencil that was nestled up inside the container. She smiled with delight and blushed happily as Mikey said he wanted to see her draw something.

So she did. She drew trees, with the snowflake faeries that she'd seen as a child, spinning down to the frozen river, all while Mikey watched her, mesmerized by the grace in which her fingers moved. He smiled at her unknowingly, his eyes soft as he watched the emotions on Noelle's face while she drew and became lost in her art. When she was close to finished, he stood up and walked over to the boxes that were on the bank of the iced water, and pulled out a pair of ice skates. Her trance had broken when he'd moved away from her, as if the spell on her mind ceased to exist. When she saw the ice skates in his hand and skimmed her gaze over to his grin, she felt her eyes widening as she hesitantly stood up.

"I know you used to ice skate with your grandma, so I thought maybe you'd like to try and do it with me?" Mikey suggested shyly, because this was the last moment that would lead up to everything. The was the final piece in his and April's plan for his confession to Noelle, and he was nervous of screwing things up. He felt even more restless when Noelle was silent for a moment, though she didn't reject his offer as she slowly strolled over to him, her eyes switching between him and the skates.

"But it's been so long...I might fall and mess up and-"

"I won't let you fall," Mikey interrupted with a firm but affectionate voice. "I promise." He held the skates out to her, and after a moment of reluctance she took them and sat down so she could slip them on. He felt triumphant that she was trusting him, and he planned to make sure she didn't regret her decision.

Noelle took a deep breath and gazed up at Mikey once her feet were firmly secured in the skates. "I-I'm ready."

Mikey held out his hands, which she bashfully took, expecting him to let go once she was on her feet, but he didn't. Instead, he pulled her carefully to the ice, her legs shaking once the blades beneath her feet was on the slippery surface, his eyes not leaving her face as she looked all around in a panic.

"It's okay, just look at me," Mikey coaxed her as he continued to pull her forward. Noelle's frantic green eyes met his soothing blue ones, and the fear seemed to melt away. Her stiff body relaxed as she put her trust in Mikey and permitted him to control her movements.

They reached the middle of the river, and Mikey let go of her, his eyes not leaving hers as he pulled away and began to slide around around her, the bottom of his feet skimming across the solid surface. He slid forwards and backwards in a silly manner; bobbing his head around and wiggling his arms to an invisible beat.

"Yeah! All about that Mikey on ice, yo!" he jovially chirped before he spun around once and made his way back over to Noelle. The blonde giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as a gentle breeze tickled her face. When Mikey held out his hands again, she laid her palms against his, basking in the pleasant warmth of his fingers. His thumbs rubbed the back of her hands as he raised her arms up, their hands pointed towards the sky. He turned her around so her back was to his plastron, and then he began to glide both of them around.

Noelle felt scared at first as they began moving, willing herself to not fall over. She remembered Mikey's promise though, and realized that even if she fell over, it wouldn't be such a big deal. She trusted Mikey, so she allowed herself to calm down as he kicked a leg out to excel them across the ice. The wind tousling her hair brought a smile to her face as she felt like they were flying, and suddenly he was twisting her back around and they were spinning in a circle. She giggled as she held his hands and spun around while facing each other, and suddenly she was in his arms and he was holding only one of her hands while his other hand stretched outward and soon her fingers were doing the same. Their arms linked as they just twirled around in a circle, laughing and giggling like children as the speed and dizziness caught up to them.

"I've missed this," Noelle admitted between laughs. She observed Mikey as he gained speed and clapped when he did a toe loop in the air, completely flawless with his moves. He winked at her and bowed. "How do you skate so well?"

He shrugged and drifted towards her, carefree and happy. "I just don't think about it. I kinda just do it." He lifted his eyes to look at her. "Want me to show you?"

The kind blue eyes she'd seen so many weeks ago were asking her for permission, and Noelle found herself unable to say no to him. This time, she extended her hand out, and she watched the dimples on his face push out as he grinned at her.

"Show me."

He took her hand and pulled her forward, but much faster than when they'd first stepped foot on the ice. Mikey let go of her so she flew into him, his arms wrapping around her waist as he spun her around so fast that her feet lifted off the ice. It was a terrifying but freeing feeling for her, and like before, she found herself unable to stop giggling in delight. Her lowered her to her feet and looped an arm around her waist with a knee bent, still spinning in a loop. She bent her knee as well, embracing the experience of his arm around her. Suddenly, he pulled her closer.

"Ready?" he whispered.

"For what?" she replied in confusion.

Suddenly, he was lifting her up, so high that her fingers extended up and reached for the clouds, her side pressed against his temple as he firmly held her. She closed her eyes, her arms spreading out like she was about to fly. She felt so free, and Mikey was the one who was making her feel this way.

The spinning slowed down as Mikey nonchalantly lowered her, her eyes opening and looking down into Mikey's pupils as their faces drew closer together until their noses were only inches apart. Both of them just stared transfixed at each other without breaking contact, even when the spinning stopped and she was planted firmly back on the ice. She stood in his arms, their breaths coming out in little grey puffs, and she was unsure if she could even pull away from him. He made her feel safe and happy, and suddenly she knew that when they got back she was going to show him that picture because she really really liked him. He made her feel so visible and happy, and the way her heart pounded proved to her that he was special to her, and that he had done something to her heart.

**[+]**

Mikey wanted to reach a hand up and touch Noelle's face because she looked so pretty to him and he knew that he wanted her to stay in his arms as long as possible. She was warm and kind and drew wonderful things and had showed him her world, all while being the first person to take him seriously. He swallowed nervously and opened his mouth to speak before he closed it again.

Instead of being the outgoing turtle he normally was, he inhaled sharply and searched his brain for something to say, anything to avoid the feeling of heat coloring his face. "Today was awesome."

Noelle's eyes shone like before as she stepped out of his arms, his hands lowering away from her waist. "It really was," she dreamily stated, and then shook her head to snap herself out of the foggy blissfulness of the situation. "Shall we go back?"

Mikey cleared his throat and blinked before he held out a hand for her to slap, which she did so with a shy smile. "Yeah, Sensei and the others are probably wondering about us, plus I need to start making dinner." He had nearly forgotten about their dinner that evening, and judging by the position of the sun it was, well, not morning and not yet evening either, which mean there was time but he was cutting it close.

Noelle nodded and instead of waiting for Mikey to give her his hand again, skated off towards the land by herself, her fingers nervously playing with her hair when she thought about how close her and Mikey had physically been. She bit her lower lip and carefully walked through the snow while trying not to fall.

She sat down and slipped the skates off, putting them back in the box they were in before. Mikey glanced at her, and she looked away, too bashful to even focus on him, but a smile crept on her face. "Could we maybe sled one more time?"

Mikey smirked and nodded before he laughed and grabbed her hand to drag her back up to the hill. "Girl, you've got it!" They ran up to the top, uncaring of the bitter cold snow seeping through clothes and touching their skin. Mikey looked at her with a grin once they reached the top, and was about to pop into his turtle shell when he sensed something strange.

Everything around them seemed to stop moving. Birds that had been flying around earlier had grown completely silent, and not even the wind could be felt. Something was wrong.

Noelle opened her mouth to ask Mikey if everything was okay when suddenly there was a familiar sound, like a quiet machine that was getting louder and louder. Mikey furrowed his brows in confusion, trying to recall where he'd heard the noise before.

A UFO belonging to the Kraang turned visible, hovering threateningly above the pair. Mikey jumped in front of Noelle with his Nunchucks out, surprise evident on his face as he attempted to protect her. He needed his brothers. He need to call them somehow. He needed to-

The door to the airship snapped open, revealing three armed Kraang droids in their mechanical suits. They leaped down from the airship with ropes tightened around their waists as they bolted forward and shot at Mikey and Noelle.

"Captured the one known as Noelle," one of the droids said, and the other two beeped in confirmation. Noelle gasped and hid behind her friend, wishing that she had her weapon with her.

"Oh no you don't! Booyakasha!" Mikey bellowed out as he slammed the end of his 'chucks into the alien face resting in the bot's stomach cavity. The creature squealed in protest and ordered it's mobile unit to shoot at the turtle. Mikey dodged all the shots, swinging his weapon every way. As he fought one, two more Kraang bots leaped from the ship, catching the turtle off guard as he attempted to take on all five of the robots by himself. One of the mechanical soldiers aimed right at Mikey's leg, the reptile barely getting out of the way in time as sweat broke out across his forehead. There were too many, and for some odd reason they just weren't going down as quickly as they usually did. He was fast, but between protecting himself, dodging bullets, and trying to protect Noelle, it was getting to be too much.

And then, Noelle's cry for help cut through the emphatic noise.

Mikey reeled around in a panic and watched as one of the Kraang bots tossed Noelle over his shoulder and vaulted right back up to the UFO. She slammed her fists on the back of the robot to break free and kicked as hard as she could but she simply wasn't being let go. Mikey sprinted forward as the other Kraang jumped back into the ship, his fingers extended out towards Noelle as she did the same,hot tears falling down her face, but it was too late.

The door to the hovercraft slid shut, and the UFO disappeared from view while Mikey fell to his knees and stared at the sky with disbelieving eyes.

The Kraang had successfully captured Noelle. He had failed her.


	24. Loss

**_Thanks once again to everybody for being patient and sending me positive reviews. This story was nominated for an award for keeping Mikey in character, which really meant a lot to me because I try really hard to keep him in character as much as possible while writing a romance story for him. Congrats to the others who were nominated as well! _**

**Chapter 24: Loss**

The distance sounds of city traffic continued as if nothing had happened. Birds that had grown silent moments ago filled the winter air with their chorus of whistles like all was well in the world. Snowflakes persisted in falling and layering the park in an ivory sheet, bringing with it what should have been a sense of peace and tranquility on the day that had started out so jovial, and had proceeded to be so until the past few moments occurred. For Mikey, the world he'd once viewed as euphoric had briskly metamorphosed into a dismal place of hurt and self-doubt, making him feel like a bigger failure than ever before.

Noelle was gone.

Just minutes ago they'd been ice skating together. She'd stood in his arms, and he'd never felt more complete, as if he'd found a part of himself in her. Mikey didn't quite understand enough to state if he was in love or not, but he knew that he did love her. They were best friends who brought the best out in each other; she was the first to believe in him and not think of him as some idiot, and now she was gone.

He sat on his knees, cerulean eyes widened in disbelief as he stared up at the spot where the ship had been merely seconds before, where he'd seen Noelle crying before the door shut itself and concealed her away from view. Mikey's hands lay lifelessly in the snow, inches away from the Nunchucks he'd dropped when he'd realized the adversity of the entire situation. All he could do was attempt to swallow the knot in his throat while panic seeped into his entire being. His heart raced and a cold sweat broke out across his lime-green skin, his lower lip trembling over his mistake at protecting Noelle from the Kraang, an enemy he'd faced hundreds of times and should have had absolutely no problem in dealing with, never mind the fact that he'd been outnumbered.

And so, the hysteria that he'd attempted to keep bubbled up finally overflowed.

"They're going to kill me!" Mikey gasped as his hands flew off the snow and covered the sides of his head, his fingers gripping the cloth of his mask. "I lost her! Oh man oh man oh man!" He paced back and forth on the alabaster ground and took deep breaths in an attempt to calm his speeding heart, his mind in a complete frenzy of fear, anger and despair. His best friend was gone, and he'd been able to do nothing to prevent that from happening. _Why had he fought?_ He should've grabbed her and run instead of risking their safety and fighting back. Honestly, he was just so used to fighting off his enemies with his brothers that he hadn't even considered the fact that Noelle didn't have a weapon with her. Once _again_, he'd messed up.

"Are you serious?! Did that really just happen?"

Mikey paused his mindless amble as a familiar voice cut through the air. Karai stood at the bottom of the hill, no longer in her usual armor but donning a simple black jacket instead. Her face was twisted into one of disappointment as she regarded the turtle. "How could you just let her go? Now we're all screwed."

"Don't you think I know that I messed up?!" Mikey snapped back, catching the girl off-guard at his out-of-character attitude. "I know I'm a screw up! I let her go, and it's all my fault!" His eyes shimmered with tears that he hastily wiped away. Never had he felt so angry or disappointed in himself.

Karai's ruby lips formed a thin line as she considered the gravity of the situation. What they needed to do was come up with some sort of plan, but there was no way it would happen with just the two teenagers. His brothers needed to get involved as well. "Listen, go get your brothers. I'll actually help you guys out, but only because I'm not in a hurry to have my life taken over by some stupid alien race, you got it? Tell Leo I'll meet him tonight at the pier."

Before Mikey could even promise to do so, the Kunoichi took off running, leaving him alone once more with his worrisome thoughts. He knew she was right; there was no time to waste if they wanted to save not only Earth, but Noelle as well. He needed to face his brothers and tell them what happened; if they ended up angry with him then so be it. All he wanted to do was get Noelle back.

Fighting back the melancholy thoughts that his brain threatened to succumb to, Mikey took a deep breath, picked up his Nunchucks, and forced his shaking legs to run down the hill. It wasn't that he was scared to talk to his brothers, he was just beyond worried about Noelle. He remembered how miserable her mom had looked in the video they'd discovered in the Kraang hideout, and he felt like his heart would break if something like that happened to the girl who had grown to mean the world to him.

When he reached the bottom of the hill, he turned towards the small pile of blankets and bolted over, his hand immediately reaching out for the sketchbook Noelle had used. He opened it up to the page she'd drawn on and gently ran a finger over the paper, envisioning her with the pencil and sketching with a smile on her face. He pressed the book to his plastron, took a deep breath, and hurried over to the nearby sewer entrance that they'd climbed out of earlier. He practically flung the cover off as he promptly climbed down the ladder, dragging the lid back over the hole before dropping down into the dim tunnels, his heart pounding as he pushed himself into breakneck speed.

"Help!" he bellowed throughout the corridor, his voice echoing over the dripping walls. Mikey wanted one of his brothers to run out to him so he could get aid as soon as possible. All he kept seeing as he ran was Noelle's crying face, and it positively stung. He tripped and landed face-first on the soiled ground, but he wasted no time in pushing himself back onto his feet and continuing his sprint. "Somebody help!" His throat was clogged by knots as he bit his trembling lip to prevent himself from crying. It wouldn't do any good, and he definitely didn't want to appear weak in front of his brothers, not when he'd already goofed up. He had to be positive; that was what he was good at. "I'm going to get her back, I'm going to get her back," he repeatedly whispered to himself as he turned a corner and skid along the ground. Retaining his footing, he pushed himself even harder, knowing that every passing second was more time being separated from the blonde girl who had taken over his heart. He couldn't lose his best friend, especially to jerks like the Kraang.

By the time he reached the lair he was panting, not because he was out of shape, but because the whole emotional aspect of the situation was just exhausting. He vaulted over the turnstile and collapsed on his knees, his eyes feverishly searching around for somebody he could reach out to. Fortunately, Donnie, April, Casey, and Leo were all watching something on the TV while Raph played on the arcade machine. All heads turned to look at the frantic reptile as soon as they heard him gasping for breath, April instantaneously leaping to her feet as she ran over to check on him.

"Mikey? What's wrong?" Her brows furrowed together in concern when she noticed somebody was missing, a sinking feeling gnawing in the pit of her stomach. She didn't even need to rely on her psychic abilities to understand something terrible had happened. "Where's Noelle?!"

"The Kraang..." Mikey frantically breathed out, his eyes wide and full of tears, "...the Kraang took her."

"Are you serious?" Leo exclaimed, no longer interested in the television he'd been glued to moments before. Donnie remained silent as he clicked the power button on the remote, his mouth widened in disbelief over what he'd just heard. The leader of the group marched over to his youngest brother, his steps heavy and fists clenched tightly together. "How did this happen?"

"There were too many, and Noelle didn't have a weapon with her," Mikey attempted to explain as he gradually climbed onto his feet. "I was surrounded by all those alien dudes and then two of them took her back to their spaceship thing." He peered down at his feet, his hands hanging limply at his side. "I lost her. She's gone and it's all my fault."

"Don't say that," April comforted, her hand rubbing the back of his shell. "We'll get her back."

"That's right!" Casey enthusiastically agreed as walked over to the red head's side, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Nobody messes with my friend! Leave it to Casey Jones to get her back!"

April rolled her eyes. "No offense Jones, but this isn't something you can do by yourself. We need a plan."

"Well, we do have the advantage in knowing where the hideout is," Donnie explained while standing up. "All we need to do is enter it without drawing too much attention."

"And we need to do it tonight," Leo added on. "Looks like we're doing this before New Years Eve, and good thing too. For all we know, they could be putting their plan into motion any time now."

Mikey suddenly remembered what he had to tell Leo, the thought blank from his consciousness since he'd ventured back into the sewers in a hurry. "Oh, uh, Karai said she wanted to meet you at the pier tonight. I saw her at the park."

Leo frowned and folded his arms over his chest. "Thanks for telling me, but what were you doing in the park in broad daylight? That was incredibly stupid of you."

"Oh, lay off Leo!" April snapped as she defensively stood in front of Mikey, his head lowered with a crestfallen expression on his face. "What's so wrong about two friends enjoying Christmas together? He doesn't deserve to be talked to like that and you know it!"

"Alright, enough already," Raph interrupted as he stepped in between April and Leo, both of them staring at him in surprise. It wasn't very often that the hothead was the calming voice of reason in the middle of a fight. "Point is, Noelle is gone and we've gotta get her back." He raised a brow at Mikey, who had finally lifted his face up. "Did Karai seem like she was up to something?"

"I don't know...I don't think so," the freckled terrapin hesitantly responded. "She was just acting all mad at me and stuff."

"Probably because she knows we're going to be in big trouble if Noelle is forced to help the Kraang out," Leo stated. He took a deep breath and rubbed the sides of his head. "Fine, I'll find her later. Donnie, let's figure out a way to break into the building. I'll meet you in the lab."

"Sure then Leo." Donnie watched his older brother saunter over to the lab before he turned his attention over to Mikey. The orange-masked turtle shuffled his feet before he took a deep breath and glanced at April, who stared back at the turtle with almost a pitying look in her eyes.

"Look, Mikey-"

"No, he's right. It was incredibly stupid of me." The air was silent as Mikey looked at Donnie and Raph. "Blame me. It's my fault."

The remaining group was surprised at Mikey's anger and depression at himself. He always jumped back to his feet with a smile, no matter how often he messed up. He was the one who kept things in the group going, who was always positive and enthusiastic no matter how dire the situation was. To see him looking so defeated was alarming. It just wasn't him.

Raph sighed and placed a hand on his brother's shell. He wasn't one for pep talks, but there was no way he was just going to continue to let his little brother be hard on himself. "Listen, things happen. There's no use in worrying about it now, you know? We'll get her back."

"But what if we don't? What if she and her mom are gone forever and I never end up finding out how she feels?"

Raph blinked in confusion. "How she feels? What do you mean?"

"I mean that I...that I..."

April stepped in and wrapped an arm around Mikey, pulling him gently away from the group as a sort of rescue from him having to explain himself. She knew what he meant and he deserved to know the answer. "Come with me. I have something to show you." She ignored the puzzled expressions on the boys' faces and pulled Mikey gently by the hand towards Noelle's room. He didn't resist but his eyes were wide with curiosity as he followed, wondering what she was planning to show him. He tried not to drag his feet as he realized that only hours before, he'd been holding Noelle's hand as he'd pulled her down the same hallway to celebrate Christmas together.

When they arrived at the door, April looked at Mikey and gently smiled, though her eyes were brimmed with sadness. "Go inside, and you'll find what you're looking for."

Mikey didn't understand what she could possibly mean, but he slowly nodded anyways and stood back so she could open the door and turn the lights on for him.

**[The Amazing Spiderman 2-Ground Rules]**

He lingered in the doorway for but a moment as April took a step backwards and allowed him entry into the room, the air filled with a painful silence. Mikey swallowed as he took in the sight of art supplies and the neatly made bed, the room smelling strongly of Noelle like she was still around. He stepped forward and regarded everything sadly, his hand trailing across her dresser and picking up only mere specks of dust. She had taken care of the room and her belongings like they were all precious to her; this lair had become her home.

He walked to the back of the room, fighting off the unpleasant feeling of rocks in his stomach as he basked in her atmosphere, recalling the first night she'd spent there and how he'd brought her pizza and done everything he could to make her feel welcome. He could still see her disbelieving face when he'd actually talked to her and made her feel like she wasn't invisible. They hadn't really been friends at that point, but he'd already been drawn to her because he could see how nice and gentle she really was, not to mention she had never made him feel like a freak or outcast, even when they'd first met in the alleyway.

And now she was gone.

He noticed her art easel, turned away from the door like there was something there Noelle hadn't wanted anybody to see. He swallowed the building knot in his throat and rounded the corner so he could see what she'd done, unsure of what to even expect.

What he saw took his breath away. It was an amazing painting of him, smiling and looking perfectly content in a wooded area. His mouth opened in awe as he studied the art work, absolutely captivated by how beautifully she'd captivated him. His finger tips trailed over the piece carefully, like he was touching a treasure, his breath caught in his throat as he felt the texture tickling his finger tips.

"She made this painting...of me?"

"Yeah." April remained in the doorway and smiled sadly. "She looked so happy too, just smiling and lost in her own little world."

He swallowed and lowered himself to his knees, his hand not leaving the painting above. "Does this mean she likes me too?" His eyes didn't leave the picture.

"Without a doubt, which means you really need to save the girl now, right?"

"I will." Mikey took a deep breath and ran his fingers over the canvas carefully, his eyes narrowed in determination as his voice lowered to a whisper. He pulled out his phone and looked at his background of the two of them smiling. "I'm coming for you, Noelle."

**[+]**

**[][][]**

Noelle sat upright against the back of the vessel's walls, her body shaking and hands tied firmly together behind her back. Her cheeks were wet with tear stains and her eyes stung from fallen tears and the restraint to not shed anymore. The knot in her throat and rocks in her stomach made breathing nearly feel impossible. She tried to not sob like a little girl as the aliens took her farther and farther away from her friends and family, the feeling of not knowing what they would do to her sending unpleasant goosebumps across her skin. Her lips quivered together while her stomach churned unpleasantly and the inside of her body trembled.

She didn't want to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her cry, but it was getting closer and closer to unpreventable as she continually pictured Mikey's distressed face, his hands outstretched towards her as she'd been taken away from him. To reach out to him and feel nothing but air as the distance between them increased brought a depressed feeling to her heart that border-lined on hopelessness. She just wanted to go back to the park and continue having a good time with Mikey. Maybe if she'd been smart and had her weapon with her none of this would have happened and they could have escaped.

She watched with terrified awe as the space vessel hovered over to the docks, the sparse people promenading below completely oblivious to the invisible craft gliding above their heads. She wondered how many times she'd been walking obliviously around the city without a single thought of an inconspicuous ship flying around buildings and through her neighborhood.

She swallowed nervously as the vessel lowered down in front of one of the piers and sank below the water, her stomach tightening up into one nervous ball as she noticed a dark tunnel in front of them. Lights suddenly turned on, providing clarity for the bots as they navigated through the corridor with practiced ease. An uncomfortable silence enshrouded Noelle as she perceived only the sounds of the craft navigating itself through the water and towards its destination.

A door eventually appeared, its panels widening open to permit the ship entry. After a gradual dip in the ground, the vessel lifted itself out of a pool of water, nearly blinding Noelle as they were immediately enshrouded by ivory walls and purples lines of light running along the sides. She noticed they were in a hangar of some sort, as there were other identical looking hovercraft all lined up in neat rows. The Kraang remained silent as the pilot lowered the craft down into a vacant spot, only turning to look at Noelle when the machine turned off. Her legs shook nervously as one of the robots walked over to her and grabbed her roughly by the arm, it's mechanical fingers digging into her flesh.

"You're hurting me. Please stop," Noelle pleaded as she was yanked forward. Truthfully, she was alright. She'd received plenty of bruises during training, none severe, but bruises nonetheless. She just didn't want to give off the impression that they needed to force her to behave, as she was more than willing to comply with their orders if it meant being safe until the turtles somehow found her. She just had to hope that they would, otherwise everything would have been for nothing and she simply couldn't accept that, no matter how helpless she currently felt.

Fortunately, the Kraang's grip loosened on her arm, though not by much. "If the one known as Noelle does the thing known as running, then Kraang will do that which is known as hurting." It's rambled warning was clear. Noelle nodded and followed the robot off the ship and into the hangar.

Other bots ambled around, either working on the space crafts or standing guard. If they noticed Noelle, she couldn't tell. She merely lowered her head and trailed behind the Kraang who pulled her along. The other robots who had been in the ship with her went off on their own separate ways except for one who stood on the other side of her, probably in case she attempted to run. They made their over to a set of doors guarded by three Kraang bots, who did nothing as they stepped to the side and allowed their comrades entry with the prisoner.

The doors automatically opened to reveal an empty elevator. Taking a deep breath, Noelle followed her captors into the elevator and tried not to overthink the grim situation as soon as the doors slid shut. She bit her lower lip and did her best to not tremble as the lift smoothly rose off the ground and up towards the unknown, not even calmed by the comically typical music that radiated throughout the mobile unit. She could feel her heart pounding as they rose higher and higher, until it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. Eventually the elevator came to a stop, the doors opened, and she was once more forced to move.

They were in a narrow hallway with multiple doors on either side. She was led down the tunnel of alabaster floors and walls until the Kraang holding on to her came to a halt in front of a door with a circular window of glass positioned in the upper middle. A black panel with raised buttons labeled by numbers was outside the room. The bot opposite of her quickly input a code so that the door slid open, revealing a small room with a bench and a window to view the city. It was a cruel way to taunt the prisoner with a taste of what freedom looked like, and yet keeping it out reach so there was no chance to attain it. She bristled as she felt her captor reach into her coat pocket and pull out the cellphone, taking away the one chance she had of getting help. It patted the rest of her as well to make sure she wasn't carrying any weapons or any other items.

Noelle felt her hands go free as the rope was cut off before she was forced out of her coat and harshly pushed into the room, the door firmly sealing shut behind her. Without a word, the Kraang disappeared back down the hallway, leaving her to press her fingers against the door glass and look around for some sort of sign that they were other prisoners on the same floor as her. Tears filled her eyes at the desire to bang on the door and scream for help, but it was a pointless thing to do, for who would hear her or even be able to break her out? Water trailed down her cheeks as her shoulders drooped in defeat, wondering how a day that had started off so wonderfully ended up in the most dismal way possible.

She looked up at the window overlooking the city and saw Mikey's face reflected back at her with his usual silly grin, as if he was telling her that everything would be alright. His explored blurred as more tears fell out and she nonchalantly shuffled her way over to the bench that was placed directly in front of the window. She gradually sat down with a sniffle and propped her forehead against the glass. She pulled her knees up to her chest and shivered, wishing that she was back with Mikey in the park. There weren't enough words to describe how much she missed him and cared for him. He had helped her open up and believe in herself, and for that she would be grateful, but she was hoping that he would help her one more time.

"Please," she whispered as her eyes shut, "please come find me."

**[][][]**

"So after I meet up with Karai tonight, we'll break into the Kraang's headquarters and rescue both Noelle and her mom," Leo briefed his brothers and Casey as they stood around Donnie's computer desk. "We need a plan of escape that'll keep the Kraang off our tails, and a way to enter without attracting too much attention. I say we sneak in from the top and locate the prison cells from there since there's usually never any guards on the roof."

"Or we can just charge in through the front doors and deal with those jerks head on," Raph gritted out between his teeth as he punched a fist into his open palm. He hadn't really said anything, but he was beyond angry that Noelle had been kidnapped and wanted to get her back. In a way, she had become a sister to him just like April, and if anything happened to her there'd be a _very_ livid turtle to deal with.

"Oh yeah, that's really intelligent, Muscle Head," Donnie scoffed with an eye roll, ignoring the way Raph glared at him. "I say we go with Leo's plan to get in. As for the way out, we-"

"Guys, we have a problem," April interrupted as she briskly walked in with Mikey following close behind, both of them appearing concerned.

Casey raised a brow. "Woah, what's going on Red?"

"What are we going to tell Noelle's family? They're expecting her over later and are totally going to freak if she doesn't show up," April explained with hands on her hips. "We can't just not say anything!"

The others all exchanged uneasy glances. They were so wrapped up in the kidnapped that they had completely forgotten about Noelle visiting with her family later.

"What if we just say she is sick?" Leo suggested. "April can call Noelle's grandma or aunt and tell them that she is throwing up or something."

"But she just talked to them a couple hours ago and probably sounded fine. How is she suddenly going to start feeling sick when she was perfectly okay this morning?" the redhead retaliated before she let out a frustrated sigh.

The rest of the group remained quiet as they attempted to think of some sort of answer to their dilemma. Mikey tapped his foot against the ground and frowned as he thought really hard about what to do while trying to keep the worry and sadness he felt under control. He still felt extremely guilty, but he knew that getting upset wouldn't benefit anybody, especially Noelle, who really needed their help right now. He crossed his arms across his chest and closed his eyes before an idea came to mind.

"What if I went and talked to Noelle's grandma?"

All eyes focused on the youngest turtle in shock.

"Are you serious? You'd give the old woman a heart attack," Raph countered. "Nobody wants to look out the window and see _your_ face."

"Besides," Leo continued, "we still want to say out of sight of humans. The less who know about us, the better."

"But April's dad knows about us and he was fine!" Mikey argued back, determined to go through with his idea."Noelle's grandma is gonna freak out if she doesn't find out what happened."

"And I suppose her finding out that her granddaughter had been kidnapped will help things? Besides, we didn't really have a choice with Mr. O'Neil; he was being attacked." Donnie didn't mean to add more stress to the situation, but he really wanted Mikey to think about what was going on before acting, something that the energetic terrapin wasn't usually known for doing.

"But we need to do something! I lost her so I should do it! It's all my fault!"

Silence once again filled the room at Mikey's outburst, his hands covering the side of his head as he crouched down and stared at the ground with melancholy eyes. It was an unfamiliar side of him that his brothers weren't used to; he was usually optimistic and encouraging, but this was the position of somebody who felt defeated. Nobody said anything for a moment until Leo crouched down in front of his youngest brother with his wrists resting on his kneecaps.

"Mikey, this isn't your fault at all. It could have happened to any of us, but unfortunately it was you who was attacked. You did your best to protect her and that's what really matters in the end. You're right though; we should talk to her family and let them know what happened. If you really want to talk to them, then I won't stop you, but we will be nearby just in case." Mikey lifted his head, his baby blue eyes filled with both relief and worry. "You need to understand though that her family might not be as kind to us as Noelle is, so please don't get your hopes too high."

Mikey nodded and stood up. "Can we go now then? I kinda...wanna get it done and over with."

The irritation Raph had felt moments before dissipated as he placed a hand on Mikey's shoulder and gripped it tightly, receiving a small appreciative smile from the freckled reptile. "We're with you, little brother."

"We'll be back, Sensei!" Leo yelled out to their father as he and his brothers prepared to leave the lair. April walked to the front to lead them to Sandra while Mikey closely followed her from behind, a bundle of nerves and eagerness. Being nervous was not his thing, but he was about to tell the grandma of the girl he really liked that her granddaughter had been taken away by the same people who took Savannah. He felt terrible about it, but it needed to be done.

Master Splinter remained in his sitting position inside of the dojo, his eyes opening to gaze upon the tree that grew in the center of the room. He remembered when he'd brought Noelle inside for the first time and how captivated she'd been with the tree. She had a way of finding beauty in everything, including his youngest son. He hoped within his heart that two of them would be reunited soon, for he felt that their existence now relied upon the other, just as his had with Tang Shen so long ago. Even now, there was still an ache in his heart as he thought about the love of his life and just how incomplete he was without her in his arms. He wouldn't wish that grief upon anybody.

"Good luck, my son," he voiced to the dojo, and closed his eyes once more.

**[][][]**

The walk over was devoid of any talking. All Mikey could do was think about Noelle and how frightened she must be, and that they really needed to hurry and find her. He was a messy mixture of feelings that involved being nervous, upset, angry, and worried. He just wanted his best friend back.

He'd come to accept the fact that what had happened wasn't entirely his fault, but a part of him still felt guilty. As they neared closer and closer to the house via rooftop, he felt sweat on his palms and his legs seemed like they were shaking. He didn't notice the occasional sympathetic glance his brothers and Casey would send his way; nobody blamed him but understood how he felt.

Donnie especially could relate to his little brother as he thought back to the time he and the others had accidentally mutated April's dad. The sickening guilt he'd held within over April's anger at him still occasionally reared its ugly head, so he did all he could to try and make a formula that would bring Kirby back to his human form. It wasn't easy, but if April could forgive him, then he was certain Noelle's grandma would too.

They at last arrived in a rather nice neighborhood of houses. Noelle pointed out a decent-sized one to the guys and nodded towards it. "That's the one," she informed them, thankful for the fact that the sun had lowered a great deal and provided very little visibility for anyone to see them. "I'll go down and talk to her, okay? Hide out on the side and wait for my signal." She was just about to jump down when Mikey spoke up.

"April? What if I screw up? What if I can't do this?"

It was unnerving how much self-doubt Mikey uncharacteristically had. April emphatically stared at him for a moment as she searched for the right words to say. "Mikey...I...listen, what you're about to do takes a lot of guts. I can't promise how things will turn out, but it's at least the right thing to do, and I'm hoping that her grandma will have enough sense to respect you for telling her. You guys may have saved the world a few times, but we're all also teenagers, and you and Noelle just happened to be outnumbered." She paused to see what Mikey would say, and instead he remained silent, but there was visibly more hope in his eyes. She patted his arm and smiled. "Just do your best, okay? This is for Noelle."

At the mention of his best friend's name, the orange-masked teen took a deep breath and nodded, fully intent on doing everything he could to protect Noelle and her family. He could do it, no matter how hard things felt. "Okay, dude, I'm ready."

April nodded and briskly glanced around to make sure nobody was around or watching them before she lowered herself down the side of the house they were on. The brothers and Casey silently followed after her, fully alert of their surroundings. The redhead pointed at the side of Noelle's uncle's house and the boys quickly rushed over while remaining quiet. They watched as she made her way up to the front door and knocked loudly on it three times.

A moment passed before the door was pulled open by Melanie. She blinked in confusion over seeing April but still stood back to allow the young teen entry. "Hi April. How are you? Please, come in."

April nodded and swallowed. "Thank you." She walked into the warm home, her stomach churning unpleasantly at the news that was about to be shared. "I apologize for showing up so suddenly, but I need to talk to Noelle's grandma. Is she around?"

Melanie's brows furrowed together. "Well, she is but...is everything okay? Where is Noelle?"

April bit her lower up and mentally rushed through excuses. "One of our friends needs to talk to her grandma. It's of utmost importance."

Panic seeped into hazel eyes. "What are you saying? April, where is my niece? What happened?"

"It isn't my place to say, but please trust me when I say you will have your answers in a moment. I just really to find your mother-in-law so my friend can explain the situation to her."

"What situation?! Where is this friend of yours?" Melanie's voice had grown loud, drowning out the tv playing in the background. Ella rushed into the living room, her eyes widened in worry.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

"I don't know!" Melanie snapped as she gestured at April. "She won't tell me!"

Nick and Sandra both stepped out of the kitchen, the older woman moving much more slowly than her son. Nick walked over to his frenzied wife and gently gripped her by the arm as he stared at her with concern. "Hunny, take a deep breath. What is going on?"

"It's my fault, sir," April apologized. Tears filled her eyes at the panic she had caused but she blinked them away. "Noelle and I have some friends who look very different from ordinary people, and one of them has requested to speak to your mother." She stared at the older woman, who remained calm though her pupils were filled with apprehension. "Please ma'am, I know you don't know me very well but this person cares about your granddaughter a lot and this would mean so much to him if you were to talk to him. Please."

All eyes focused on the elderly lady as she silently considered the teen's words before nodding. "Very well. Where do you wish for me to go, my dear?"

Relief flood April's face. "Thank you. I just need a room where a window can open. I know this sounds strange but he has a misunderstood appearance and doesn't wish to be seen."

"I understand. Here, right this way." April followed Sandra towards one of the back rooms, but not before she shot an apologetic expression to Melanie. The brunette's lower lip trembled as she gripped her husband's hand while her daughter continued to have a perplexed look on her face.

**[][][]**

"Is in here okay?" Sandra inquired as she entered into a sitting room where an easel and paint had been set up. It wasn't a large room by any means, but since it was in the corner of the house there were two modest-sized windows that provided a perfect view of the outdoors. "Please pardon the mess."

"Oh no! You're fine. I'm once again sorry for just suddenly showing up, but this really is important." April reached over to the left window and looked back for permission. "Is this fine to open?"

"Yes, that's alright."

With a meager grunt April unlocked the window and slid it open. She stuck her head out into the night and noticed right away where the boys had hidden themselves. She waved Mikey over and pulled her head back inside. The youngest turtle gulped and allowed himself to be gently pushed forward by Raph, who really didn't want to be in his brother's place at the moment.

"H-hello?"

Sandra's head lifted up at the voice as she slowly began wandering over to the window. "Hello, young man. I hear you wish to speak to me?"

**[The Fault in Our Stars-Hazel Eulogy]**

"Um ye-yeah, I...well..." Mikey's voice trailed off as he took a deep breath, his eyes shutting as he attempted to fight off his nerves. "I need to tell you something about Noelle."

The sadness in his voice said it all. The woman halted and placed a shaking hand over her heart. "My Noelle is gone, isn't she?"

Mikey stared out blankly ahead with his head tilted back against the brick wall. "The Kr-Kraang took her. I was outnumbered and tried to fight them off but they still t-took her and it'll all my fault. I'm so so sorry. I lost her." This time, he allowed the tears to fall down his face as he sniffled and tried not to freak out. He didn't know what reaction he was expecting, but he assumed it wouldn't be good. he was just a dumb turtle who had made another mistake, only this one hurt far worse than anything he'd done in the past.

Trails of tears slid down the old woman's leathery face as she stood at the window, but she did not look out. "Please, trust me to look upon you and not judge. Allow me that."

Mikey peered over at his brothers for support. Raph was shaking his head but Donnie and Casey nodded. Leo sighed and shrugged, leaving the solution completely up to his little brother. With a deep shaking breath, Mikey stepped out of the shadow and in front of the window, his eyes meeting the surprised blue pupils of an old lady. They both just stared at each other without saying a word while wet droplets rolled down their cheeks.

Instead of screaming, Sandra smiled gently and leaned her head closer to get a better look at the humanoid reptile standing before her. "Why, you're the same age as Noelle aren't you? You're still so young." She shakily reached a hand forward and wiped the remaining tears off of Mikey's face while he continued to just look at her with his mouth gaped open. A conversation from not too long ago made itself known in Sandra's mind as she studied the youthful creature before her, the corners of her lips turning up even higher. "You're Mikey, aren't you?"

His mouth widened even more. "Are you, like, psychic like April?"

"Mikey!" April hissed, not wanting everybody to know about her powers. Fortunately, the elderly woman just chuckled and shook her head.

"No, my dear, I am not. I just remember Noelle talking about you and it was obvious how much she cared for you."

Mikey's face lit up. "She did? Really?"

"Yes. I've never seen her look so happy, and I can tell just by looking at you that you feel the same way. I'm going to tell you a little secret, okay?" She leaned in and Mikey leaned in closer. "Love, especially young love, is so beautiful and precious. Cherish it."

'Even though I look like this?"

"Young man, appearances are meager. My granddaughter looked at you with her heart, and found both love and beauty. Will you do the same for her?"

A grin slowly spread across his face. "Of course! She's super pretty and I definitely love her!" His cheeks turned pink at what he'd said out loud, and judging by the sounds his brothers and Casey made, they were just as surprised. The only one who didn't look even remotely shocked was Donnie, who was simpering just as brightly as April. "I love her," he whispered into his hands before the grin returned. "I really, really love her."

"Then can you promise me that you'll do your best to find her? Please?" Sandra asked. She knew that Mikey might not be in love with her granddaughter, but he definitely cared a great deal about her and would obviously do whatever he could to make her happy. She was pleased that Noelle had given her heart to somebody so kind. "Now, the rest of you may come out."

Leo cleared his throat as he stepped out from behind the corner and rubbed his head in embarrassment. "Good evening, ma'am. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas. Do not be shy." She waited until all of the boys were standing next to Mikey before she allowed herself a good look at them. Like before, she smiled and showed no disgust. April stepped over to Sandra's side and grinned.

"And you call yourself ninjas?"

"Hey, we had limited options, Red," Casey replied with a smirk.

"So how did you know we were there?" Raph asked, impressed by the old woman's perception.

Sandra winked. "I'm an artist. I always noticed the smallest detail, like how Mikey looked over at you, or the shell I saw popping up in the other window."

"Nice job Donnie," Casey sarcastically complimented, earning a glare from the taller turtle.

"Thank you all for taking care of my granddaughter," Sandra genuinely stated. "Now please go find her, and when you do find her, tell her I love her and am so proud of her for staying strong."

"You can count on us," Leo confirmed. "We'll get her back. I promise."

"Booyakasha! Let's go!" Mikey bellowed before he took off running, Leo groaning at his brother's loudness before he and the others followed. April jumped out the window after them and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. It's a habit." She shrugged and then quickly waved. "Bye!"

**[+]**

Sandra was left alone in silence, her smile turned downwards as she thought of how frightened Noelle must be. Still, a part of her felt hope. The turtles and two humans her granddaughter befriended seemed like wonderful and caring people who truly cared for Noelle, and she somehow just knew things would be okay.

The door behind her swung open, revealing the anxious faces of her family. She smiled and went to sit down in front of her easel. "No need for alarm. Everything is fine. The turtles just told me Noelle was kidnapped but not to worry because they were going to get her back. All is well."

Ella burst into laughter over her grandma's joke while Nick and Melanie just stared at her in disbelief.


	25. Moment

_**Thank you so much for the reviews last chapter. They really made my day. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy. : )**_

**Chapter 25: Moment**

Mikey sat on the edge of his bed and stared down at his T-Phone, the picture of him and Noelle together cheerfully reflecting back up at him while his right leg bounced up and down anxiously. His eyes dejectedly focused on Noelle as he rubbed a thumb tenderly over her face, wishing more than anything that she was with him right now. He still couldn't believe everything that had happened that very same day, from opening presents together in the morning to ice skating at the park, to her literally being snatched away from him only minutes before he was planning to confess his feelings for her. He'd been too late, and now she was gone.

Truthfully, Mikey didn't really know what he was planning to say once he and his brothers found her again. He refused to believe there would be an_ if_, only a _when._ To imagine a world without his best friend made him feel even more nauseous than he already felt. It was enough to make him lay on his bed and stare blankly ahead at the scattered objects in his unkempt room, wondering how he was ever again going to be able to ever crack his usual silly jokes, or stuff pizza into his mouth like a mutant pig instead of a mutant turtle. He knew it would freak his family out, but what would the point be when he was so sad? Even now, it was hard for him to remain so positive, but he had to, and that was only because he refused to let go of any hope he had of finding Noelle. If he gave up so quickly, then how could he call himself her friend? Mikey knew he was a screw-up, and that he had made a gazillion mistakes that would make anybody give up on him, but Noelle stood by his side and believed in him when nobody else did. She didn't make fun of him, and had even admitted to admiring him. Nobody else had ever put that belief into him before, or made his heart pound fast or face heat up to the point where he thought he was running a fever the way she did.

And so he collapsed and lay spread out on his bed, face tilted toward the ceiling and phone still in his hand while he contemplated how the rest of the day could possibly go. Scenarios from multiple comic books he'd divulged into in the past infiltrated his memory in one giant blur, and it wasn't easing his anxiety in the least bit. For instance, what if Noelle was hanging over a pit of giant spiders who wanted nothing more than to eat her flesh? She could also be in a net over a pot of ooze that turned her into a monster, or maybe she was tied up and dangling upside down outside the tower for the whole world to see!

"Ahhh!" he cried out as he shot up and covered the sides of his face in a panic, his pupils shrunken in terror as each circumstance ended up being worse than the last. He took deep breaths and closed his eyes, wishing that Leo would just hurry up and come back so they could go rescue her. Each minute that went by was one more moment of her possibly being tortured, and it was absolutely tearing him up. It was so hard for him to remain reassured when the unknown was happening to Noelle without him around to help her. He felt like puking and running around at the same time, which in his mind was a terrible combo, so he merely bit his lower lip and continued bouncing his leg while taking deep breaths the way Sensei had taught him in training so many times.

All he knew was that if he didn't find Noelle and tell her how he felt, then he was absolutely going to go crazy, and not the funny kind either.

A sudden rap on his door ceased all conflicting thoughts, his leg halting in movement as he lifted his head up towards the sound.

"Yo, Leo's back. Let's go."

Releasing a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, Mikey bounded towards the door and flung it open, his hand practically shaking as it gripped the door knob and turned. Raph stood on the other side with a raised brow, taken aback by his little brother's instantaneous reaction as his fist gradually lowered from its knocking position. For a moment, they just stood there wordlessly looking at other, lips pressed into thin lines as seconds of silence ticked by while neither one could figure out what to possibly say. Raph wasn't the best person when it came to dealing with emotions, and he knew that at that moment Mikey was perhaps looking for some sort of reassurance that everything would work out okay. Mikey, who was usually so optimistic and full of hope, had a look of apprehension in his eyes that was unnerving to Raph. He disliked seeing his little brother so bothered, especially when he knew that part of the younger turtle felt that what had happened was his fault.

Finally, Raph sighed and rubbed the back of his head, figuring that now would be the best time to provide some sort of wisdom that Leo would have been far better at contributing. "Listen, little bro, I want you to know that everything will be okay. We'll get her back, ya know?"

Mikey's gaze slid down to his feet before he closed his eyes for a moment and then refocused on Raph. "I know we will, but it's just hard because I really miss her, bro. She liked me when nobody else did, and now I kinda feel lost without her. I just wish she was here with me. She belongs here."

Raph reached over and patted Mikey's shell, who offered a small appreciative smile at his older brother's gesture. "I'm sorry we never took you as seriously as she did, and we have always liked you. You've just...you've always been my silly littler brother you know? And you're right; she does belong here. We all miss her, and we will definitely find her tonight. So, let's go get Donnie and Leo so we can get your girl back, okay?"

Mikey felt pride swell in his chest at the words "your girl", and he supposed it was because she really had become his girl. He wasn't really sure when that had happened, but it had and he was grateful for it. She was kind and talented and beautiful, and he didn't want anybody else to ever take her spot. It was either Noelle, or nobody at all.

"Thanks Raph," the young reptile gratuitously simpered with a head nod before he proceeded to hurry down the stairs, not wanting to waste another minute. The sooner he found his best friend, the sooner he could relax and feel happier again.

Leo and Donnie waited at the bottom of the stairs, both armed and ready to go. Leo was texting on his phone while Donnie clipped a small bag to his belt and tied the ends of it securely. Casey and April had also arrived and were leaning against the turnstiles patiently. April wore her yellow winter coat while Casey disdainfully donned a thick ebony sweat shirt, and even that April had to lecture him on.

Master Splinter stood in the middle of the den, as he had decided he would see his children off for their mission, especially since he was also worried about Noelle. She had become like a daughter to him, and he was worried about her. He hoped that both her and her mother would be safely rescued by his family. The last thing he wanted was to lose another child.

"Alright, Karai is ready to go when we are," Leo announced to the group as he put his phone away. "Does anybody have any questions before we leave?"

"Yeah, how do you know your girlfriend isn't planning to start something with us or trap us instead?" Raph scoffed, still mistrustful of the Kunoichi who refused to believe Splinter was her dad. Any ally of the Shredder was an enemy in his eyes, and he didn't care if she was their adopted sister or not. One wrong move, and he'd be more than happy to put her in her place.

The Leader rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his plastron. "She isn't talking to the Shredder right now because he refuses to take her fear of the Kraang abducting Earth seriously. He's had her locked away in the dungeon like a prisoner so she broke out and is willing to fight with us to protect our planet. She doesn't want those scum balls to win anymore than we do, so I say we take whatever help we can get. Also, she isn't my girlfriend."

"Leonardo is right," Splinter agreed, drawing all eyes to him. "It is important to work together and defeat this common enemy. Sometimes, your greatest enemy can be your most formidable ally when there is an even bigger danger present. Work together, and bring Noelle home." He specifically looked at his youngest son as he finished speaking, and watched as Mikey bowed his head.

"Hai Sensei."

"Don't worry, Casey Jones is on it," Casey declared proudly, his hockey mask lifted up to reveal his painted face underneath. April smirked from beside him but internally agreed that they would all do their best to rescue their friend. After all, Noelle had become like a sister to her over the last few months, and while she wasn't really saying anything, she was just as worried as Mikey, though her worrying was a little different,, as the love she and Mikey had for Noelle wasn't the same.

"Anyways, we should probably move," Donnie commented. He playfully elbowed Mikey and offered a gap-toothed grin. "You'll like how we're going to get there."

**[][][]**

All six teenagers glided over the bustling nightlife of New York with whoops and hollers, fully determined and ready to reach their target. The late evening air tickled faces and fingertips as it carried the modest group towards their destination through the dark sky. Even Mikey smiled as he basked in the freedom of flight, though his heart stung a little when he saw Donnie and April in the same two-person glider he'd shared with Noelle about a couple months ago, April giggling just the way Noelle had.

All the brothers wore their hats,coats and scarves, not feeling foolish enough to fly in the winter breeze without some sort of protection against the frigid cold. The sky was clear and concealed by scattered stars, which fortunately meant a lack of snow in the nearby future. Mikey mostly remained silent during the flight, as his thoughts were most focused on finding Noelle and breaking her out. He didn't yell "buzz buzz" like he usually did, nor did he insist on wear the Turflytle costume as he had in the past. His brothers understood though, and didn't bother asking him about it.

"I'm seriously never going to walk again," Casey declared with grin as he twisted his glider in the air and laughed emphatically. "I don't know how you guys don't do this every day!"

"Because it's risky," Leo responded, though he himself fully enjoyed maneuvering high above the city streets. He always enjoyed the view and advantage the maneuver gave him, but if they weren't careful and somebody looked up, they could easily be spotted. It wasn't something he was entirely worried about, but with Shredder and the Kraang around, he and his brothers could never be too cautious. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with actually running around and exercising."

"Then why aren't we all climbing up the building with Karai?" Raph asked, still not fully intent on trusting Shredder's adopted daughter. It was hard to trust somebody who attacked his father and family, biological or not.

"Because this was is much faster and less inconspicuous," Donnie replied, his eyes narrowing as he spotted the roof of the building they were aiming for. "Destination in sight."

Something built up in Mikey as the rooftop grew closer, a sort of anger that made him want to run inside and push everything out of the way. The rage he felt wasn't exactly the same as Raph's; his fists didn't want to punch through walls, and he didn't want to kick a Kraang's head in. Truthfully, as his eye narrowed and his fingers tightened into into a grip, he found himself just wanting to stand on the roof and scream Noelle's name really loudly so she knew he was there. It was a protective sort of anger that made his blood boil in an unfamiliar way, and even though he wasn't the person in the group who absolutely loved to fight, he realized at that moment that he would absolutely do whatever was necessary to grab Noelle, take her in his arms, and pull her away from a prison she didn't belong in. He remained silent though, and instead smiled in his determination to get her back.

The group landed carefully on top of the building as Karai emerged from the shadows with her lips pressed into a thin line. "About time you guys got here. I was about ready to go in without you." She scanned the group silently, her eyes locking into a glare with Raph as they stared at each other disdainfully, the dislike strongly evident.

Before words could be exchanged, Leo shouldered off his glider and pressed it down into its compact mode so he could carry it on his back easier, the others following his example. "Alright, here's what we're going to do; we're all going to head into the building at once and see if we can find the prison floor. We'll split up into two teams so we can search two floors at once. Casey and Karai are with me, and Mikey, April and Donnie are with Raph. If something seems out of place, contact each other immediately, understand? Same goes with when one of our teams finds Noelle. We want to get out of here as soon as possible. My team will take the top two floors, and Raph's will take the next two, and so on. Understand?"

Everybody nodded their heads and entered the building all at once. Fortunately, the door at the top didn't require a code of any sort to open, so all that needed to be done was find the stairs and go from there. Leo's group went first to check the top floor, while Raph's group searched for the nearest staircase and headed down two floors. Usually the hot head liked to be in the front where all the action was, but this time it was Mikey who bolted forward and seemingly led the group around the area until they found a door leading to the stairwell. His other three teammates exchanged head nods before they followed after him, both surprised and yet not by the youngest turtle's determination to find Noelle. There was a mutual understanding that out of all the members in their group, Mikey was the one who missed her the most, and none of them were going to stand in the way of him finding her.

As soon as they exited the stairs, Mikey wasted no time in opening random doors lined up alongside the hallway. Some of the rooms were dimly lit with boxes of spare robot parts, just like in the warehouse, and a couple other rooms had the Kraang bots plugged in and charging.

"We might want to go somewhere else," April whispered as Raph grabbed onto Mikey's shell to prevent him from entering into said room. Donnie shut the door quietly behind them and they made their way over back to the other side of the building to go down even more stairs. Unfortunately, the next floor had a few Kraang guards walking around and fully armed with their weapon blasters.

They group of four barely had time to duck around a corner before shots were fired, leaving little crisp holes in the sides of the walls. "Well, this is fun," Raph grumbled as he shot ahead, rolled off to the side, and stabbed his Sais into the sides of two Kraang droids. The bots crumbled onto the ground with static sparking out of them.

"Yeah, a blast," Donnie sarcastically agreed as the blade popped out of the end of his Bo staff and he speared one of the mechanical creatures in the side of its head. April popped out from behind him and whipped her fan forward, cutting off the heads of three more robots before promptly returning back to its owner. April caught her weapon and stepped off to the side as Mikey shot past her and briskly knocked down a couple Kraang before he took a deep breath and yelled.

"NOELLE!"

"Dude, shut up," Raph hissed as he knocked his little brother on the back of his head. "You're going to alert everybody that we're here!"

"But how is Noelle supposed to know that I'm here?" Mikey countered with his brows furrowed together in frustration. "What if she's hidden in the walls or something and we can't find her?"

**[LOST-Ocean's Apart]**

"We will find her," April reassuringly promised. "I know we will. Just keep a cool head and let's keep searching. My powers should be able to let me know if she's around or not."

Mikey sighed, but nodded, knowing that the redhead was right. Yelling around wouldn't help anybody, and Noelle was counting on them to find her, so that's what he'd do. Seeing his brother calmed down, Donnie patted him on the back of his shell, and the small team continued their run until they reached the third floor below.

"Guys," April breathed out as they stepped into the corridor and she placed a hand against the side of her head. "She's here."

Mikey wasted no time. Relieved that the corridor didn't contain any guards, he cantered through the passageway, his feet slapping against the shiny silver flooring as he briskly looked into the windows of each and every room, wishing that the next one he came across would have Noelle in it.

"No. Not here. Nope. Dang it. C'mon." He felt himself growing increasingly disappointed until he finally came across a door right in the middle. His heart hammered in his chest as he peered into the oval window and saw her sitting on the bench, looking down into the city below with her forehead pressed against the glass.

"Noelle!"

The blonde lifted her head up and looked at her cell's door, her eyes widening and watering as she raced over and pressed her hands against the glass separating them. Mikey pressed his hands over hers as they just stared at each other. He compassionately smiled at her while she laughed in both surprise and happiness as a tear slid down her cheek before she returned the smile.

"Ugh. Donnie, hurry up and open the door before I get sick," Raph directed, but the corners of his mouth were upturned, evidently happy that his brother and Noelle had found each other again. Donnie nodded and hurried over to the lock just outside the door, cutting apart a bottom of the box and messing with the colored wires while Mikey and Noelle just stared at each other. In a matter of seconds, the lock beeped and the door sprung open. Before words could be said, Mikey entered the small room and quickly pulled Noelle tightly into his arms while she buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, tears falling down her face in relief. His hands rubbed her back and head tenderly, not wanting to let her go again.

**[+]**

Raph pulled out his T-Phone and hit Leo's name. The phone rang twice before his older brother answered.

_"Hey, you guys doing okay?"_

"Yeah, we found her."

Leo exhaled a sigh of relief. _"Good. We'll meet you on the fortieth floor. According to Donnie's map, there is a large room there that I want to check out."_

"Sounds good." Raph hung up and turned his attention back to his brother and friend, who finally pulled apart. April had watched the entire scene with her hands folded over her heart and grinning, beyond happy that her friend was safe, but also touched by the reunion between Mikey and Noelle. She wondered if Donnie would act like that if she was ever taken, to which her gut told her yes.

"Are you okay?" Mikey asked as he used his thumb to smear away the wet trails on Noelle's face. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Yes, they didn't do anything to me. Thank you for finding me."

"Always," he responded without thinking, to which both their faces turned pink.

Donnie kindly cleared his throat and placed a hand on Noelle's shoulder. "Sorry to interrupt, but we need to move. We've got another several floors to go before we meet up with Leo."

April quickly walked up to Noelle and pulled the blonde into a hug before she stepped away with a smile and handed over the Jutte. "Here. Made sure to grab this for you."

"Thank you," Noelle replied as she took her weapon and held it to her chest. She'd been foolish to have left the lair without it, and she planned on not making the same mistake twice. She nodded her head at Raph, and beamed contently when she felt Mikey give her hand a squeeze before he pulled her forward and let go. She could no longer deny the fact that she'd fallen for her best friend, and wondered if she'd ever gather up enough courage to tell him. For now though, she would follow him and the others, and do her best to prove herself as not being a hindrance any longer. She'd fight to get out, just as they'd fought to find her.

Of course, things never happened easily for the group of teenagers. More Kraang bots waited for them on the destined floor. Fortunately, Leo and his team arrived just in time to help.

"Glad to see you're doing okay," Leo declared to Noelle as he stabbed a bot in the chest and watched it keel over to the side.

"Yeah, welcome back Blondie," Casey called out to her with a grin. He shot a few hockey pucks towards a couple bots and cheered in satisfaction as they collapsed onto the ground.

"Next time, don't get caught!" Karai glared at the blonde before she also assisted in destroying a few Kraang. Noelle was surprised to see Shredder's daughter, but she was glad that the Kunoich was on their side, even if temporarily.

"So, is your mom not here?" April asked once the remaining robots had been destroyed. All eyes turned to Noelle, who lowered her head and bit her lower lip.

"I honestly don't know. I didn't see or hear her. I tried calling her name but nobody replied back to me, and I think she would've heard me."

"Then maybe we're lucky that a pair of giant suspicious looking doors are right behind us," Karai sarcastically pointed out with a tilt of her head. Everybody in the group looked up at the looming ivory doors, and then down at the lock inserted directly in the center of the door. All eyes turned to Donnie who tried not to look proud as he stepped forward and began using an app off his T-phone in front of the electric lock. In a manner of seconds the lock beeped and the doors unlocked with a click before creeping open.

Leo was the first to poke his head in before he waved everybody else forward, signalling that the area was clear. When Mikey saw what was before them, his lips parted as he whispered "woah". Noelle wordlessly just stared at the same thing, goosebumps spreading across her skin.

In front of them was a wide blue beam that stretched from floor to ceiling, and had names, pictures, and locations of several individuals encircled around it. The President of the United States, the Queen of England, and the Prime Minister of Canada were among a few of the names, along with several other important figureheads from all over the globe. Noelle couldn't believe what she was seeing as she glanced upon each and every other person, only to freeze up when her eyes came across a familiar looking face.

"Oh no..."

Mikey and April were the first to reach Noelle's side as she breathlessly uttered out the words with a hand over her mouth. The words Dimension X" brightly glowed back at the trio next to an older picture of Savannah, whose eyes held the expression of somebody bored but unaware of what would happen to her in the future. It was a driver license picture that Noelle had glimpsed at only once but remembered clearly. Her hand reached hesitantly forward, her pointer finger intent on landing on the picture, but slipping through the transparent screen.

"Your mom isn't here," April gently said with a hand pressed lightly against Noelle's back. "We will have to find another way to get to her."

"Where is Dimension X?" Noelle quietly asked. She felt like collapsing on the floor and crying in frustration. She had really thought that she'd find her mom here, but apparently Savannah had been moved somewhere else. It was almost as if Life didn't want her to ever find her mom.

"It's this weird space place that the Kraang are from and where I get like, super smart in," Mikey attempted to explain.

"We need to get rid of this," Leo declared, his brows lowered angrily as he took in all the Kraang's future victims. "This might be the only record they have, and we can't let this stay. Who knows who they'll go after next."

A blaring alarm resounded throughout the floor, capturing all the teenagers off guard before preparing themselves with their weapons. Even Noelle, who hated fighting and was still not used to it, gripped her weapon and mentally ran through all the the lessons Splinter had taught her in her lessons.

"Oh yeahhh bring it on!" Casey cried out as soon as the first Kraang droid appeared in sight. "Goongala!" The hockey player raised his hockey stick up behind his head before he swung it forward and knocked his opponent off to the side. Several more of the robots cantered down the hallway in mechanic harmony, forcing the teenage team to turn to offense. Noelle and Mikey teamed up to take down a few Kraang, with Mikey using his Nunchucks to wrap around pairs of robotic legs and knock them over while Noelle slammed her Jitte against the brain-looking faces tucked within the stomach units. The disgusting aliens made their whining sounds as they crawled away from their units and back down the hallway where they came from.

"We need to get out of here!" Donnie yelled once the numbers of their enemies had dwindled significantly. "More are probably going to show up!"

Raph jogged over to end of the corridor and peered out the wide window that practically framed the wall. He used the end of his Sais to crack the glass, sending little sharp shards down to the streets below. "Let's get out through here!" he called out over his shoulder as he punctured even more holes in the glass until finally there was only open space. A bitter wind swept through the hall, prompting everybody it touched to shiver.

"Donnie, do you have anything we can use to destroy this place?" Leo asked as he yanked out his glider and pressed it open.

Donnie reached into his belt and pulled out a round gray object with a red button popping out at the top. "I have this; it's powerful enough to do considerable damage to the building and wipe out any traces of the data we found. Unfortunately, somebody is going to have to stay behind by a few moments to detonate it. Whoever does it needs to be fast because it only takes three seconds to activate."

April's eyes widened in disbelief. "Only three seconds? That's it?"

"It's more than enough time," Leo stated as he held his hand out. "Leave it to me. I'll stay behind."

"No way," Raph argued with his arms folded over his chest. "You need to get Karai out of here. Somebody else will do it. You don't need to be the hero all the time."

Karai opened her mouth to protest before she pressed her lips back together and sighed. She hated having to rely on the turtles, but if she went her way and climbed back down then there was no chance of her making it to the ground safely before the bomb went off. She needed one of the gliders, and if any of them were going to go down with her, then she'd rather it be Leo.

"He's right, yo," Casey agreed. "You two get out first."

Leo's shoulders slumped forward in defeat before he nodded and hooked himself up to the glider. He wrapped an arm around Karai's waist and ignored the weird look she gave him before he turned his head to address the others. "Be safe and smart, " he ordered, and then leapt out of the window to glide down. Once he was again, the arguing over who would stay began.

"It should be me," Raph volunteered. "I can take down all those Kraang if they come after me. I'm not afraid of those idiots."

"No way! I can totally do it!" Casey emphatically argued. He and Raph literally butted heads and glared at each other until Donnie coughed and cleared his throat.

"Casey, there's no way you can escape in time with all that heavy stuff you're wearing. You and April take the double glider and follow after Leo."

"What? No fair man!"

"He's right, Jones. We won't be of any use," April voiced. A part of her wished she could be the one to stay and be useful, but she knew Donnie was right. Her and Casey wouldn't be fast enough to escape, and the last thing she wanted to do was be a burden. So, she took the glider Donnie handed over to her, popped it open, and then hooked herself up to it. She exchanged a small smile with her best friend as Casey groaned in protest but followed directions. Once both of them were securely in the device, they took off running and sailed directly through the window. Now, there were only four left to decide.

"I can honestly be the one to activate it. It's my weapon after all," Donnie suggested.

"But dude, I'm the fastest," Mikey suddenly spoke up as he placed his hands contently behind his head and grinned. "Which makes me more awesome."

As the boys argued among themselves over who would stay behind, Noelle walked over to the edge of the floor and peered down at the city below, her hair gently fondled by the winter breeze. She thought of all the trouble she'd caused in being kidnapped, and how during fights she'd always been the one to stand off to the side and be protected. Sure, she contributed a little, but it wasn't anything impressive like the rest of her teammates displayed.

She stared down at the city lights below, remembering how Mikey had brought her up to the top of the building to show her the beauty of the city. He'd been through so much already, what with having to find her and endure being basically called an idiot all his life. Even then, he smiled at her, a beautiful innocent smile just like the one he'd given her when they first met. He had done his best to take care of her and keep her safe, and now she knew without a doubt that she wanted to be the one to protect him.

It was her turn to do the rescuing.

**[Buffy the Vampire Slayer-Sacrifice]**

"It has to be me," she whispered, her eyelashes fluttering as she blinked repeatedly and lifted her head.

Her voice was just loud enough that Raph heard her. "What did you just say?" he asked in disbelief, causing his two brothers to furrow their brows in confusion over what he was talking about.

Noelle turned around with her chin held up and a look of determination on her face, her eyes directly meeting Mikey's puzzled blue ones. "I'm the one who has to stay."

Mikey's eyes widened while Raph loudly protested behind him.

"No way sister. There's no way you can-"

"Why you?" Donnie curiously interrupted. "What makes you think you can do it?"

"Noelle, no," Mikey breathed out, watching as she stepped forward and faced him directly, a small smile on her face.

"From the moment you guys met me, everybody, especially you Mikey, have done your best to watch out for me and keep me safe. I know I'm not as fast as you, as strong as Raph, as brave as Leo or smart like Donnie, but this whole thing was my fault. I want to be the one to protect you now." She turned her head to Donnie and held out her hand, hoping that her expression was absolute. "Please give me the bomb. I will make it out."

"Donnie, don't do it," Mikey pleaded, unable to believe what he was hearing.

The tall terrapin was silent for a moment until he took a deep breath and placed the weapon in Noelle's small hands. "Do you understand what to do?"

"Yes," she replied.

"No! I can't let you do this! I'm the one who has to keep you safe! That's not fair!" Mikey protested, his head shaking repeatedly. "Please don't do this-"

"Mikey." Noelle used her free hand to grab one of his hands and hold it as she stared up at him with affection. "You told me that one day I would have my moment. Well, _this_ is it. My moment is here. Do you believe in me?"

Mikey swallowed nervously and stared down at the ground before his eyes met hers. "I've always believed in you. I'm just scared to lose you."

Noelle felt courage and and love swell up in her as she studied the face of the boy who had changed her life, and she knew that there was no way she could ever live without him. She pushed aside her fears as she closed her eyes and stepped forward to place a soft kiss on his cheek before she stepped back, her cheeks pink and eyes shining. He stared at her in shock as she squeezed his hand tightly and walked back, his mind completely numb and his mouth wordlessly parting.

"I will see you again," she promised.

Getting a grip on reality, Mikey held out his hands to her. "Noelle, I-"

The alarm blared even louder. Donnie grabbed the glider off of Mikey's back and handed it over to Noelle. "Good luck. Be safe."

"Time to go, little brother." Raph looped his arm around Mikey's while Donnie encircled the other arm. They both ran forward and jumped off, leaving Noelle to stare down at them.

"No! Let me go! Noelle!" Mikey screamed out as he raised his hands up and grabbed at only air. "Noelle! Noelle!"

Noelle quickly turned away with tear-filled eyes, her heart aching as she heard him repeatedly yell her name until it became a faint echo. She wiped away a stray tear that fell down her cheek before she walked back towards the data room, her legs shaking as she heard the sound of mechanical footsteps running down the hallway. Her heart pounded as she attached the bomb to the circular foot of the screen.

She closed her eyes as the Kraang rushed around her, and pressed the button.

**[+]**

It wasn't until Mikey was on the ground that he turned around and pushed Donnie away from him, catching his older brother completely off-guard. "Yo, why did you let her stay?! What if she doesn't make it?! What if she-"

"Mikey, you need to calm down!" Raph firmly gripped the angry turtle by his shoulder and spun him around so they were face-to-face. "You need to believe that everything will be fine. She wanted to do it."

Mikey stomped a foot angrily, uncaring that he was behaving like a large child. "I don't care! I just got her back and now she's stuck up there!"

"She can do this," Donnie defended. "She always believed in you, so you need to believe in her."

Mikey clenched his fist because he knew his brothers were right, though judging by the shocked expression on April's face, he knew he wasn't alone in feeling uncomfortable with the idea. Still, the both of them remained silent, and they all turned their heads to gaze up at the building, waiting for some sort of sign that things had gone according to plan. The sun was starting to rise, giving off an ember glow that surrounded the Kraang's hideout.

There was a sudden explosion from the floor the teenagers had flown down from, along with a burst of smoke as rubble began collapsing from the upper level. The group below moved backwards as a hefty chunk of wall landed right in front of them. People around the area took off screaming as more concrete crumbled to the ground, unaware of the mutants standing directly off to the side of the building, just staring up and waiting for their friend.

Mikey's heart sunk when the smoke cleared and she still didn't show up. He didn't hear the people yelling as true terror clenched at his heart and his stomach tumbled around until he felt like he would be sick. He felt like the world had just ended, and suddenly he became a wreck. The boy who always had a smile on his face and a positive attitude, collapsed onto his knees, tilted his head back, and howled like a wounded animal as tears streamed down his face. His whole body shook as he heavily sobbed in defeat like a person who had lost everything.

April cried out as she covered her mouth and tears slid down her cheeks, unable to believe that she'd just lost her friend. The others, including Karai and Casey, were dead silent in shock. Leo took a small step forward with his hand lifted up to try and console his little brother, but then he lowered it, knowing that it didn't matter what he said, Mikey would be inconsolable.

**[TMNT 2007-Winter's End]**

"Noelle!" Mikey screamed, his hands clutched over his chest as he heaved and lay his forehead against the dirt, a fist slamming down into the ground beside him, uncaring of who saw or judged him. His best friend was dead, and nobody could help him. His shoulders shook as he continued to weep, wishing right then that a hole would just swallow him up so he could see her again. He didn't even get to tell her how he felt.

The redhead's eyebrows furrowed together as she took a step forward and listened carefully. "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

"Hear what?" Raph asked, attempting to keep the quiver out of his voice. It was awful to see his brother in such a state, along with the fact that they had just lost a really good friend who had become like a member of the family. The whole moment just reeked of depression and sadness.

April's eyes widened. "I think I hear Noelle yelling."

"No she's not," Mikey mumbled from his spot. He lifted his head up and gazed back at his friends and family, his eyes puffy and red. "She's never coming back and it's all my fault."

Donnie's face lit up in relief as he looked straight ahead and smiled. "Mikey, look."

The heartbroken turtle nonchalantly turned around to look, his eyes only able to make out clouds of dust coming from the fallen debris. His eyes widened as he heard his name yelled.

"Mikey!"

A wobbling shadow coughed before walking out of the smoke. Mikey cried out in relief when he saw Noelle stumbling forward, her hair messed up, clothes torn and dust on her face, but she was alive, and that was all that mattered. They exchanged glances before the young turtle burst into alleviated laughter and pushed himself up into a run. Noelle set down the broken glider and forced herself to canter towards him, arms spreading open as she reached him. He yanked her into his arms and spun her around as he laughed and she giggled, both so happy to be reunited again. And then, Mikey set her down, rested his forehead against her, and pressed his lips against hers, because that's how the people in his movies and comics let somebody know that they really liked them.

Noelle had never been kissed before, so when his lips met hers she felt like her face was entirely on fire, and he must have as well because he pulled away after only a couple seconds and stared at her with the most adoring blushing face he'd ever had. Noelle smiled lovingly at him, pressed her hands against the side of his face, and shyly joined their lips together once more to show she returned his feelings. They basked in the warmth and softness of each other's lips, Mikey's mouth pulled up into a smile as he kissed her and held her closer to him so that her arms wrapped around his neck.

To say the moment was magical was an understatement. When she was younger, she used to wonder what her first kiss would be like. She'd drawn pictures of couples kissing before, but always felt like the image was lacking because she had no idea what a kiss even felt like. She'd never imagined that her first kiss would be with a mutant turtle, but somehow it just felt right. Her lips tingled from his mouth moving gently against hers, and she felt like she could heart both their hearts pounding from being pressed together.

When she pulled away, her eyes didn't stray away from his face. "I told you I'd be back," she whispered as she affectionately stroked his cheek, unable to believe what had just happened. Somebody hugging her used to make her feel weird, and now she was kissing somebody. There was nobody she'd rather have experienced that with than her best friend, and she knew from the way he grinned at her that he felt the same. He pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear.

"Booya. Kasha."

They erupted into a fit of giggles.

**[+]**

"Mikey is the first of us to get a girlfriend? Are you serious?!" Casey exclaimed after watching the whole display. He made a gagging sound like he was about to retch. "Isn't there a separate place they could've done that in or something?"

"Oh shutup, Jones," April lectured, her eyes not once leaving her friends. She joyfully beamed, and reached out to grab Donnie's hand; the large turtle turning pink as she did so. "I think it's sweet, right Donnie?"

"I, uh...wow, yeah, it is." Donnie glimpsed at April, his face lighting up when he saw how happy she was, and he wondered if there would ever be a day when he could confess his feelings to her. Until then, he would wait until he gathered enough courage, and just support his little brother.

Raph kept his mouth shut and just grinned. He was honestly really happy for them, though he was also just as surprised as Casey that his gross, annoying, clumsy little brother would be the first to find love. He was just glad it was with somebody as kind and sweet as Noelle.

Sirens in the distance put the group in alert mode, reminding them that they were standing out in the open where everybody could see them. Leo cleared his throat and turned to face their other ally."We need to get out of here. Karai, did you..." his words trailed off as he turned around and saw that Karai was no longer with them.

She watched them from a nearby building and smirked, secretly glad that everything had turned out okay. Now it was time for her to go home and face her father, but at least she could do so knowing that the world was just a little bit safer.


	26. A Step Forward

**Chapter 26: A Step Foward**

The turtles, Noelle, Casey and April, hurriedly located the nearest manhole cover and entered it before the police arrived to inspect the bizarre scene. Intense sirens faded away into nothingness as the group moved rapidly through the corridors, with April on Donnie's back and Noelle on Mikey's. The youngest sibling had taken off his bright orange jacket and given it to Noelle to cover herself in when he offered her his back. She'd been through a lot the past day, and he knew she was probably pretty fatigued from all the events that had happened. Leo wanted to get everybody back to the lair quickly, and it just seemed to be faster for the girls to ride on the brothers' backs. Casey slid on his roller skates and did his best to keep up with the terrapins as they cantered through the dim halls and towards the hideout.

Noelle and Mikey, of course, couldn't seem to stop smiling, which just drove Casey nuts. He was still in full disbelief over the mini make-out session he'd been witness to back on the surface, wishing he could just scrub the scene from his memory. He was glad that they'd rescued Noelle, and that Noelle and Mikey had had their little hug and found each other, but could they seriously have not waited until they all arrived back in the sewers before they sucked face? It would've been gross to see any of the turtles do it, but Mikey? Who knew when the last time that guy even showered! He only hoped that Noelle knew what she was getting into.

The trip didn't take too long. In less than ten minutes, the group arrived back at the lair. Noelle had tried to stay alert, but the running motion had made her eyelids heavy until she was fighting to stay awake. By the time everybody walked into the den to greet Splinter, the blonde was in a deep sleep.

"Well done," Splinter complimented when he noticed the exhausted girl on his youngest son's back. "I am glad to see she is safe. Was there any sign of her mother?"

Leo sighed and shook his head. "No, Sensei. We found a file with her mother's information on it, but unfortunately it looks like she is in Dimension X, and we're going to have figure out how to get there."

Donnie crouched down so April could slide off his shell before he stood up and rubbed his chin in deep thought. "I'm sure there is a way, I just need to do some research and calculate how we can safely enter, preferably without drawing too much attention. I'll go see what I can come up with."

"Maybe you should do that later," April kindly suggested as her friend turned towards his lab. "We've been up all night; I think sleeping first would be a better option."

"April is right," Splinter agreed. "You have all worked very hard. Now is the time to rest."

Donnie stared at his father thoughtfully before his shoulders sagged and he nodded. He was used to working long hours on a project and not getting a lot of sleep, but right now his body protested greatly against the idea of doing any sort of lab work. He covered a yawn and stretched his arms up, changing his course from the lab over to the stairs that led up to his and his brothers' rooms.

"Thank you father." Leo bowed his head and trailed after Donnie. " I will try not to sleep too long so I can do my training later."

"Take as much time as you need," Splinter reassured. Sometimes his oldest son was just so dedicated to his training that he ended up pushing himself too far, and Splinter had to remind him to rest his body. Out of all his sons, Donatello and Leonardo were the ones who usually needed to be told relax before they reached their limits.

Casey lowered his hockey mask back down and skated back towards the turnstiles. "Whatever. I'll head home and let you guys have your nappy time. Casey Jones doesn't need sleep!"

"Whatever you say, Jones," Raph replied with a shrug. "Don't blame me if you fall on your face or something because you're trying to stay awake."

"Yeah, sure thing, man." The hockey played waved and skated out of the lair, not making it too far down the tunnels before a yelp was heard. Raph rolled his eyes with a scoff and went up to his room as well, all the while muttering "I told you so".

Mikey leaned forward a little bit and nudged Noelle back up his shell, as her arms around his neck had gone limp from her falling asleep and she'd started to slide down. Splinter quietly walked over to the side of his youngest son and studied Noelle's sleeping face. "She was not hurt, was she?"

"No, Sensei," April quietly answered. She smiled at the adoring look Mikey gave Noelle, which Splinter must have noticed as well because he raised a brow but said nothing.

"She's asleep like a little cute baby," Mikey stated with a grin. "Guess I'll go put her to bed."

Splinter rubbed his beard. "Indeed. April, stay and rest if you need to. I will go back to meditating." He placed a claw on the redhead's shoulder. "I am glad you have all returned safely." The two of them exchanged smiles before he nodded once at Mikey and headed back to the dojo, leaving his son and the two human girls by themselves.

"I'll see ya later, April." Mikey gave a little wave to the freckled girl and then promenaded over to Noelle's bedroom. He used one hand to push the door open before he entered and silently walked over to her bed. The amount of relief he felt at laying her down gently on the mattress and knowing she was safe was almost indescribable. He stared over at the backward easel and recalled how worried he'd been about her merely hours ago, how his heart and stomach had felt sick with fear. Now, he was tucking her into bed after he kissed her, and everything was okay.

His cheeks burned brightly as he recalled just how wonderful kissing her had felt. When he was little, and maybe even up until right before he'd met Noelle, he'd never cared about the idea of putting his lips against somebody else's. As far as he was concerned, the idea seemed a little gross, but now he understood why people did it. The only way he could describe it was that it was just super awesome, and he was glad he'd done it. Now the both of them were happy, but he couldn't help wondering if that meant he was her boyfriend or not. He supposed he'd just have to ask her later after she woke up.

He pulled his coat away from her and tucked the comforter up to below her chin, her face one of contentment and peace now that she was safe. Mikey reached over and gently lay his hand over hers with a warm smile on his face. His smile fell though when he remembered that they still hadn't found Noelle's mom, and that it was something that she still unfortunately had to deal with. He couldn't imagine the toll it took on her, but he would do his best to keep fighting until Noelle and her mom were reunited again. It was the least he could do after failing to save Noelle from being kidnapped, a guilt that he would always be forced to live with.

He squeezed her hand and stood up, placing a kiss on her forehead just like he had when she was sick. To say he was happy was a severe understatement, as it felt like there were fireworks going off in his head and his heart pounded really fast. He'd never felt so much joy or excitement before, not even when he was reading the climactic reveal in "Invasion of the Alienoids", or watching the reveal that Princess was Captain Dash Coolstar's long lost sister in _Super Robo Mecha Force Five!._ He wanted to dance and sing and eat a boatload of pizza all at the same time, and he'd totally do it with a big grin on his face.

He quietly left Noelle's room and practically skipped down the hallway, only to bump into April, who had left the girl's bathroom to change into her pajamas and was currently on her to way to sleep on the couch. She smiled at Mikey and held out her hand to high-five.

"Nice going Mike! I knew Noelle liked you back!"

Mikey laughed in delight and slapped his palm against April's. "Dude, this feels super awesome! Did you see that she kissed me back?! Dr Lovestein has got the moves!"

April giggled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. You did great. "Keep calm Romeo." She lifted an elbow up and rested it on his shoulder. "So what's your next move?"

The terrapin stared at her in confusion. "Uh...what?"

"You know, the next move? You can't just kiss her and not do anything else. That's not how dating works. I mean, you should've known that when you asked her out." She raised a brow when she saw him staring blankly at her. "You did ask her to be your girlfriend, right?"

Mikey tucked his hands behind his shell. "No? I mean, there really wasn't time to because stuff happened and I was just glad she didn't really get hurt."

"Well..."April removed her elbow and nodded. "...I guess that makes sense. Just do it tomorrow, okay? You don't want her to think you aren't serious about her."

"How should I ask her out though?" He anxiously tapped his fingers together in the shape of a tent. "What if she changes her mind about me and thinks I'm a freak?"

April reached out and patted his arm. "You seriously think she would act like that towards you? I mean, do you really, really think that?"

Mikey thought about it and shook his head. He knew she would never be so mean to him, and she'd proved that earlier by kissing him back in front of his family. He knew there was no reason for him to worry, but he still felt nervous. He'd never had a girlfriend before, and he really wanted to stay with her for a long time without messing things up. If there was one thing he was good at it, it was screwing things up, and he definitely didn't want to do that. "No; I just don't want to make mistakes and make her sad or mad, ya know?"

"Mistakes are part of a relationship," April replied. "It's about learning and growing together. You guys will be fine." She raised a hand up to cover her mouth as a yawn escaped. "Guess that's my cue to go to bed. I'll see ya tomorrow."

"Oh, yeah. Okay. Thanks April. Good night." He walked up the stairs and entered his room. He took off his mask and laid down on the bed, his eyes just staring up at the ceiling until they became adjusted to the darkness of his room. He closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to come quickly to him like it usually did, but for some reason he didn't feel comfortable. Instead of his usual dreams than involved sweets and bizarre creatures, he saw Noelle looking down at him with tears in her eyes as the building she stood in exploded. He remembered how his heart had shattered when he thought she was gone forever, the dread that he would never be able to live again because he'd lost her; it was his fault she'd been taken, and it was his fault she hadn't survived the bomb in the building.

His eyes flew open as a sick ball of worry and guilt twisted itself in his gut, forcing him to sit up as sweat gathered on his forehead. He took deep breaths and laid back down, this time on his side. He closed his eyes once more, but the same images plagued his mind, serving as a painful reminder of what had almost happened. He rolled over, but he still felt uneasy. She was looking into his eyes with a deep sadness, her lower lip trembling as tears rolled down her face.

And then, she exploded into nothingness.

"Ahh!" Mikey cried out, gasping for breath as he sat upright and covered his heart, feeling the muscle pounding feverishly beneath his plastron. He swallowed and licked his dry lips, unsure if he was going to be sick or not. He knew then and there that he would not be able to fall asleep that night, not until he was sure Noelle was safe. He tied his mask back on, gathered up his blankets and pillow and crept out of his room and down the stairs. The TV was on but at a low volume as April slumbered peacefully on the couch. He didn't know if Splinter was heavily meditating or not, so he tiptoed quietly down the hallway until he reached Noelle's room.

**[Contact-I Believe Her]**

Mikey laid down a blanket before he settled himself on top of it, wrapped himself up in another blanket and rested his head on the pillow. He faced Noelle's door, stretched his arm out, and traced the wood with his fingers. "I'll keep you safe," he whispered. Now, he could at least make sure that Noelle slept safely without being taken away again. Exhaustion finally caught up to him as he just stared at her door. His eyes closed."I'll keep you safe..."

**[][][]**

Noelle awakened, feeling both refreshed and sore. Her arms and knees ached from her rough landing earlier that morning, but she was grateful that the damage wasn't worse. She glanced at the alarm clock, her eyes widening when she saw it was half past one in the afternoon. She groggily sat up and rubbed her eyes, her movement halting when she heard light snoring on the other side of her door. She pushed the comforter off her and noiselessly walked over to the door, where she took a deep shaky breath and pulled the door back.

She almost cried out in surprise when she saw Mikey laying on the ground below her, his arms and legs spread out with his face turned towards the ceiling as he snored, still in deep sleep. Noelle looked at him in confusion, wondering why he was there and not in his own comfortable bed. She stepped over him and kneeled down next to his head, her eyes looking straight at his mouth. Her cheeks grew hot as she remembered the kisses, still unable to believe it had happened. Mikey liked her just as much as she liked him, and it was an absolutely indescribable feeling. She tenderly looked at him, smiling brightly as she subconsciously reach out and rubbed his cheek.

When his eyes opened and he jerked up, she fell onto her behind and covered her mouth to prevent the shout of surprise that had climbed up her throat. Mikey yawned and tiredly looked over at her, his eyes suddenly widening as a grin spread on his face. "Hey! You're awake!"

Still stunned, Noelle just nodded.

"That's awesome. Good thing I was here to protect you!"

Noelle's heart sped up, her cheeks flushing. "You slept out here to keep me safe?"

"Well...yeah." Mikey suddenly looked ashamed as he stared down at his hands. "It's my fault the Kraang took you."

Noelle wasn't used to seeing Mikey look sad, so to see him appearing so crestfallen hurt her heart. "It isn't your fault. We were outnumbered, and I didn't have my weapon with me like I should've. I'm glad we went to the park and had fun. I don't regret it. Besides, you saved me. I'm okay."

Mikey said nothing for a moment before he reached over and pulled her into his arms. She blushed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, her chin resting on his shoulder. This felt so much different than their first hug. "I was very sad and scared. I'm glad you're here. I don't know if I could have eaten pizza again if you really died."

Tears gathered in Noelle's eyes, her insides aching at the pain she had caused him. "I'm so sorry Mikey," she sniffled as he rubbed her back soothingly. "I didn't mean to make you worry so much. I'll never leave you." She couldn't promise that she wouldn't ever do something that might harm her again because she had no idea what the future held, but she wouldn't treat her safety as recklessly if she could help it.

**[+]**

He enthusiastically patted her and pulled away with a grin. "Hey, it's all over! We're here and things are cool. We kicked the Kraang's butt! Man, you were so cool! I was scared, but what you did is totally what a hero would've done! Pretty sweet, yo!"

Noelle laughed and wiped her tears away. "Thanks Mikey. You always know how to cheer me up."

Mikey stood up and pulled Noelle to her feet. "Anytime, yo! Now, let's go eat! I'm starving!"

Although the offer was tempting and her stomach growled, Noelle also realized that she was still dirty from the events that had transpired much earlier that day, and the idea of a shower and fresh clothes sounded quite welcoming. "I will join you in a little bit. I'm going to clean up first. See you soon?"

"Sure thing! I'll see ya!" Mikey high-three'd her and practically skipped off with his blanket and pillow clutched in his hands as he hummed contently.

Noelle sighed with a smile and shook her head before she proceeded to grab clean clothes and take a hot shower, the warm water washing the ashy grime off her body. Satisfied with the feeling of cleanliness, she put on a pair of navy blue jeans and an orange shirt, pulled her hair back into it's usual style, and made her way to the kitchen, where she could hear laughter and conversation. When she entered the kitchen, the noise died down, and everybody stared at her. She still didn't like having a lot of attention, but it was nice that her adopted family was smiling at her. It made her feel grateful for having them in her life.

"Good morning, my child. Did you rest well?" Splinter kindly asked before he took a sip of his steaming tea. He gestured to the empty spot next to Mikey, where a fresh cup of coffee awaited her. She gratefully beamed at Donnie who returned the smile as she took her seat and nodded her head.

"Yes Sensei. Thank you." She bit her lip as her stomach twisted in guilt. Everybody at the table, along with Casey, had risked their safety to find and rescue her. On top of that, they were also doing everything they could to find her mom as well, which was so much more than she could have ever hoped for. She couldn't just not say anything and assume they knew how grateful she was; they deserved to at least hear it from her. So, taking a deep breath, she cleared her throat and instantly stood back up, letting her friends know that she had something to say.

"Go-good morning. Um, I just wanted to say thank you to everybody. You all fought to bring me home and I am so grateful to each of you for that. You didn't have to, but you did. And I know that I made some of you worry when I stayed behind to destroy the files..." her eyes met Mikey's bright blue ones, to once again display her apology to him, and she was relieved when she saw him smile at her, "...and I am so, so sorry for doing so. It's just that you all have done so much for me, and I wanted to return the flavor."

"You really scared us," April admitted gently. "We were all really worried, especially Mikey." The redhead wanted to cry every time she imagined the freckled terrapin kneeling on the ground in defeat as he sobbed like somebody who had lost everything. She didn't want to make Noelle feel bad, only to remind the blonde that she was very loved and that her actions greatly affected others. She didn't want to see Mikey cry like that ever again.

"That's alright, because she made it up to him," Donnie teased as he playfully nudged Noelle in the side. The blonde blushed and quickly sat back down, her eyes glued to her lap while Mikey looked around in confusion at the giggling and laughter that took place. He stared at Master Splinter, who thoughtfully looked back at his youngest son and seemed to contemplate what was going on.

"We're just glad you're okay," Leo stated. "You were very brave, but let one of us do the staying behind next time, okay?"

"Yeah, we'd hate to let Mikey lose his girlfri-ow!" Raph growled out as he glared at April, who innocently smiled at him as she withdrew her leg back over to her side beneath the table.

Breakfast carried on as usual, with Donnie and Noelle drinking their coffee as Splinter sipped his tea and Mikey handed out plates for the breakfast of eggs and pancakes that he had prepared. Occasionally, Noelle and Mikey's eyes would meet and they would bashfully smile at each other before glancing away, a gesture that Splinter noticed but did not say anything about. He merely observed them throughout breakfast until it was time to clean up. Noelle and Mikey went to go wash dishes but were stopped by April, who claimed that her and Donnie would take care of them. Surprised at being volunteered to do the work without knowledge beforehand, but glad that he would spend time with April, the lanky turtle complied with the red head's orders and set about clearing the kitchen with her.

"Hurry up and ask her out," April whispered to Mikey as she carefully stacked up the dirty plates and bobbed her head towards the blonde, who was exiting the kitchen. "Don't wait."

Mikey swallowed nervously but knew that April was right. It was time to make it official. Without a word, Mikey grabbed Noelle's hand and began pulling her towards the tunnels, just as he'd previously done before whenever he needed to talk to her or show her something. Noelle's cheeks turned pink as Mikey took her hand and led her out of the lair, but she held on tightly and merely walked beside him, wondering what was going on. It could have been the fact that they'd shared their first kiss not even twelve hours ago, for her legs seemed to shake as she strode forward next to him. She was both nervous and excited, and a part of her was honestly worried that maybe Mikey regretted kissing her. Even after the times when he'd called her pretty and hugged her and made the painting with her, he could be having doubts and was only holding her hand to soften the blow of apologizing for getting her hopes up. Noelle knew she was being silly, but there was something really difficult about accepting the fact that somebody as wonderful and awesome as Mikey liked her for her.

They walked in silence, their hearts pounding in their chests with each step taken. It was awkward, walking hand-in-hand and feeling nerve-wrecked, both unaware that each of them felt the same amount of worry. Mikey had never considered the possibility of asking a girl out before, mainly because he lived in a sewer and he thought people might view them as freaks, or so he'd been told by his brothers his whole life. It was something he'd been made to believe, but now that the moment of actually asking a girl to be his girlfriend, especially one as beautiful and wonderful as Noelle, was about to happen, he kind of felt like a nervous mess. He'd been able to act normally around her as best friends, so why couldn't he as her boyfriend? The word brought a smile to his face, but didn't really help calm his nerves, especially since they were getting closer to the location he had in mind.

They turned a few corners, walking throughout the sewers for five muted minutes until they finally reached a clearing where clean water flowed across a corridor like a stream. Moss covered the ground, and scattered flowers beautifully bloomed across the floor and along walls. Noelle hadn't expected to see such a serene place in the sewers, but then again, she'd never expected to come across talking turtles either.

Mikey watched her face light up as she took in the scenery before she finally looked at him. She could tell he had something to say, so she pushed her anxiety down and patiently waited for him to speak, their hands still joined together. Mikey squeezed her fingers and pulled his hands away, making her miss the warmth she'd felt from his palms.

"So, uh, I like it here. It's nice. Sensei showed me and my bros this place a while ago, and, I dunno...it just seemed like the best place to take you right now."

She wanted to ask him what for, but she simply nodded and smiled. "It it really pretty here." She watched as he took a deep breath and looked her dead in the eyes, the most serious he'd ever appeared, and she couldn't help the flight of butterflies that circled inside her stomach.

"Noelle, you're my best friend. A lot of stuff has happened to us, but I'm glad we went through it together. Ever since we met, you've treated me like I'm a cool person, not as a freak like other people do."

_When he warned her about his appearance she was expecting to see a deformed person, not a turtle possessing human qualities. She was definitely startled, but as she ogled at his freckled face she saw a friendly smile and a pair of gentle azure eyes peeking out from within the eye holes of an orange mask. They were kind eyes, and she knew that he didn't mean her any harm._

_He crouched down in front of her, and held out his three-fingered hand for her to take._

_"Let me help you up!" he cheerfully offered._

**[RomeoXJuliet-Yakusoku]**

They stood apart, eyes intently focusing on each other. Mikey reached up, undid his mask, and pulled it off, revealing his maskless face to her. Noelle had seen him without his mask on when she used the clay to give him a human appearance, but she didn't study his eyes then the way she was now. He looked different, and yet the same beautiful eyes beamed back at her. "So I want you to see the real me, as I ask you something that's kinda important. I don't think you'll laugh, but if you do, try not to do it around me, okay?"

Noelle swallowed as he reached forward and took her hand back in his. "I really like you, and I mean like like you. I think we could be really sweet together, and I was wondering if maybe, if you want to, you could be my girl?" He exhaled nervously and searched her eyes anxiously for some sort of answer."

_You're a good, uh...you're a good friend." Her eyes shifted nervously to the side as she began taking a step backward. "Goodbye?"_

_The freckled ninja didn't want to scare her off, but he needed to give her confidence, so he stepped forward and expeditiously enveloped her in a tight hug before he pulled away. She gaped at him in disbelief as he patted her shoulder like she was a little kid. "See ya!" he grinned before he took off after his older brother._

_She stood stunned and alone, watching as he reached the rooftop and waved at her before vanishing. Her eyes lit up, and she shyly returned the gesture before he disappeared. It was the best feeling to finally find friendship, and although she lectured herself for not returning his embrace in time she had a feeling that he knew it made her happy._

Noelle's heart hammered in her chest at Mikey's offer, her cheeks stained pink. They'd started off as strangers, and now things had come to this.

_When they reached the center of the floor, Mikey spun on his heel and bowed to her while fighting to keep a serious expression on his face. Noelle returned his gesture with a curtsy, secretly thrilled that everything seemed to be playing out like a fairy tale. She was by no mean a princess, nor he a prince, but perhaps she could pretend they were living in a story book for just one night._

_Mikey's hand held onto her waist while the other gently clutched her hand, and when Noelle inspected his face she saw excitement glowing in his bright blue eyes. Her face heated at their close proximity, but she felt that the warmth came more out of happiness than love. She was so glad that she was able to have her first couple dance with her best friend, and judging by the way he was grinning he felt the same way._

She swallowed the knot in her throat and hesitantly took a step forward. This time, it was her turn to show him how much he meant to her.

_"Noelle?" The normally silly teen had a serious tone to his voice that captured her attention. "You know you're part of our family right? We all really like you: me, Sensei, Donnie, Leo, Ice Cream Kitty, and even Raph think you're awesome. If you ever do leave the city, you can't go without us, okay? Well, at least me."_

Noelle had never seen him look at her so lovingly before. It made her heart soar and her breath caught in her throat.

_A flash of light across the sky caught their attention. Noelle's eyes lit up in excitement and she clapped her hands together in a moment of childish delight. "A shooting star! Mikey, you have to make a wish!" She instantly squeezed her eyes shut as she thought what she desired for most._

_The terrapin jovially did as she said. He'd heard about shooting stars before but had never actually seen one. He closed his eyes like her, but he already knew what he wanted. He'd actually known it for quite a while._

_"I wish Noelle would never change."_

"I would never laugh at your feelings. You saw me when I was invisible," she began, attempting to keep the nerves out of her voice. "When I'm in your arms, I feel safe, and I honestly don't ever want to leave them. I don't ever want to leave _you_."

_"Mikey...I'm so scared," she whimpered. He encircled his arms around her and pulled her against him with one hand cradling the back of her head gently. "Our p-painting is-it's gone. I tri-tried to save it but it fell."_

_"We can make another one. You're more important." He firmly held her as she sagged against him and broke down into heavy sobs. His eyes also watered as he listened to the heartbreaking sound of her crying, but he remained silent since she was in far worse pain than he was. He needed to be her strength right now. He carefully picked her up bridal style and lowered them both to the ground until they were sitting against the side of his bed. He rubbed her back soothingly as she buried her face into his neck and let out all the anxiety and heartbreak that had built up inside of her for so long._

_"I'm here, I'm here," he reassured her, and pressed his cheek against the top of her head._

"Mikey, you've been there for me through everything. You always take care of me and are there to hug me when I am sad. You've shown me kindness and love the way nobody else has." She reached a hand out and cupped his cheek, his eyes widening. "You're so beautiful, inside and out."

_Still speechless, Mikey stepped forward and lowered his head so Noelle could wrap the scarf around his neck and place the hat onto his head. It was when he looked her right in the eyes that all his emotions came at bay. He began to laugh like a child, his eyes closed as he tilted his head back and allowed more of the snow to fall on his face and even his tongue. He twisted around and surprised the blonde by picking her up and twirling her around, both of them laughing and so lost in the joy of the moment that the near proximity didn't catch them off guard. Noelle pressed her forehead against his, cheeks pink from the cold and laughter._

_When the spinning stopped and he set her down, his hand grabbed hers as he continued watching the amazing display before him. Noelle felt her face flush when she gazed up and watched Mikey, her fingers clasped around his tightly in a state of blissful serenity._

**[+]**

**[The Princess Diaries- The Kiss]**

Mikey didn't know what to say. He'd never been called beautiful before, and didn't think guys could be referred to as beautiful, but if Noelle thought he was, then she must be right. He reached up and placed one of his hands over her own, his cheek nuzzling against her palm like he was Ice Cream Kitty.

"You're beautiful too, Noelle."

_Suddenly, he was lifting her up, so high that her fingers extended up and reached for the clouds, her side pressed against his temple as he firmly held her. She closed her eyes, her arms spreading out like she was about to fly. She felt so free, and Mikey was the one who was making her feel this way._

_The spinning slowed down as Mikey nonchalantly lowered her, her eyes opening and looking down into Mikey's pupils as their faces drew closer together until their noses were only inches apart. Both of them just stared transfixed at each other without breaking contact, even when the spinning stopped and she was planted firmly back on the ice. She stood in his arms, their breaths coming out in little grey puffs, and she was unsure if she could even pull away from him. He made her feel safe and happy, and suddenly she knew that when they got back she was going to show him that picture because she really really liked him._

Before she could stop herself, Noelle stepped forward, both of them closing their eyes as her lips pressed gently against his. She felt like her face was on fire, but everything in the moment felt right. She wanted to scream because she just felt so happy, her thumb caressing his cheek as his other hand snaked around her waist and pulled her closer. Mikey tilted his head a little, their lips parting for a second before meeting again. For a moment, it was just the two of them, the stream, and the flowers, in a state of perfect harmony. Neither one of them wanted to break free, for everything felt so perfect. Noelle could feel herself sagging in his arms a little bit as she moved her head to a different angle and shifted her lips against his. Mikey hoped with every bit of his being that it wasn't a dream, that he, a mutant turtle, was actually kissing the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

They both eventually pulled away, their faces a bright pink color. Noelle thought she would melt to the floor, she was so happy. "Does that answer your question?" she whispered.

Mikey blinked. "Wait, what was my question?"

She giggled. "You asked if I'd be your girl, remember?"

A grin spread across his face, "Oh yeah! So will you?"

As their hands lowered, Noelle squeezed his and nodded as she prettily blushed. "I'll always be your girl."

"Booyakasha!" Mikey laughed and encircled his arms around her waist, picked her up off the ground and spun her around as she chuckled and threw her arms around his neck. "I've got a girlfriend! This is totally awesome!"

Noelle had never felt so happy before. She pressed her face against his neck, wishing with all her might that many more moments like this would happen with him. She thanked whoever was listening that she'd finally found her true friend, and that after all her years of silently wishing for somebody special to enter her life, her wish had really come true.

[+]


End file.
